Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation Partner to Develop India's First Indigenous eVTOL Aircraft
The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of the six-seater 'Shunya' electric aircraft, with a target first flight within 18 to 24 months.
Quick Look
- Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation have signed an MoU to develop 'Shunya', India's first indigenous six-seater eVTOL aircraft.
- The partnership focuses on flight-critical systems, with a target first flight scheduled within the next 18 to 24 months.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Sarla Aviation is an advanced air mobility company based in Bengaluru. Tata Elxsi provides design and technology services for the aerospace and mobility sectors.
Bengaluru: Tata Elxsi and advanced air mobility company Sarla Aviation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the development of Shunya, a six-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that the companies on Tuesday said is being developed as India’s first indigenous aircraft of its kind.
Tata Elxsi shares were trading at ₹3,656.70 on the NSE around 12.30 pm on Tuesday, up 2.26% from the previous close.
Under the partnership, Tata Elxsi will support Sarla Aviation in developing and testing flight-critical systems for Shunya, including avionics, flight control systems, software integration, verification and validation and certification.
Sarla Aviation will lead the overall design, development and type certification of the aircraft.
Shunya is designed to carry six passengers and one pilot and has a planned flight range of more than 300 km.
The aircraft combines vertical take-off and landing with fixed-wing cruise capability. This is intended to allow runway-independent operations while improving propulsion efficiency during cruise.
Sarla Aviation is targeting Shunya’s first flight within the next 18 to 24 months, followed by certification activities.
The partnership will also explore Tata Elxsi’s support in areas including sensor-fusion-based navigation software, industrial and structural design, and airworthiness testing.
“Building a new class of aircraft is not simply an engineering challenge. It requires bringing together people and organisations willing to solve problems that have never been solved before in this market,” Sarla Aviation Co-Founder and CEO Adrian Schmidt said.
“Tata Elxsi's experience in complex aerospace systems gives us access to capabilities that are critical as we take Shunya from concept to reality,” he added.
For Tata Elxsi, the partnership expands its work across aerospace, mobility and digital engineering into advanced air mobility.
“Every major shift in transportation has been enabled by a combination of engineering innovation and ecosystem readiness. Advanced air mobility is no different, and Sarla Aviation's vision for Shunya reflects the ambition driving this transformation,” Tata Elxsi CEO and Managing Director Manoj Raghavan said.
Tata Elxsi Head of Aerospace Jayaraj Rajapandian said the aircraft reflects the changing technology landscape in aviation as aircraft become increasingly fly-by-wire, electrified and connected.
The two companies said the partnership could also create capabilities applicable to logistics, air ambulance services and defence-related applications.
The MoU was signed at Sarla Aviation’s newly inaugurated headquarters in Bengaluru. The agreement brings together Sarla Aviation’s focus on urban air mobility with Tata Elxsi’s aerospace engineering, software and flight-critical digital engineering capabilities.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
First flight of Shunya aircraft within 18 to 24 months.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What is the total project budget for the Shunya aircraft?
- Which regulatory bodies will oversee the type certification process?
