Flying Taxi Company Partners for Air Service in IndiaFlying Taxi Company Partners for Air Service in India

Urban air mobility (UAM) startup ePlane in India is partnering with mobility technology company Sona Comstar to develop powertrains for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles and drones in India.

Development would include motors, gearboxes and inverters as ePlane aims to launch several eVTOL vehicles, according to the company.

The ePlane company was started in the Institute of Technology Madras in India and holds several patents for electric aerial vehicles (EAV) in India.

The air taxi would start as a piloted vehicle ultimately transitioning to be fully autonomous, according to the company.

Sona Comstar provides automotive systems for manufacturing companies and the rapidly growing electric vehicles market.

Flying vehicle activity in India has been growing recently.

For example, Japanese eVTOL vehicle maker SkyDrive signed a deal with JetSetGo Aviation Services to expand in India, including the sale of 50 EAVs.

SkyDrive has been working to expand into India since 2022 and established a partnership with the government of Gujarat in early 2024.

JetSetGo and SkyDrive plan to assess the potential for commercial eVTOL operations in the Ahmedabad area and other locations within Gujarat. 

JetSetGo also signed a deal with air taxi company Eve Air Mobility to advance the use of Eve’s urban air traffic management system in India.

Related:Air Taxi Company Expands in India, Selling 50 Flying Vehicles

Air taxi developer Sarla Aviation raised $10 million in a series A funding round, enabling the eVTOL vehicle company to advance its flying vehicle operations in India.

Sarla Aviation recently teamed with Bangalore International Airport to establish facilities for air taxi services at Bengaluru International Airport, one of the largest airports in India.