Bengaluru: Electric flying taxi startup Sarla Aviation, which plans to launch services in India in 2028, will initially fly between airports and commercial hubs such as IT parks in Bengaluru, one of the world’s most congested cities. It aims to expand to Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune, eventually connecting key hubs within these cities.
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), also known as flying taxis, are seen as the next major evolution in urban air mobility. Sarla’s air taxis will accommodate up to six passengers, with a maximum load of 680 kg, and will be priced similarly to premium ride-hailing services like BluSmart, Ola SUV, or UberXL. For instance, an UberXL ride from Electronic City to Bengaluru airport costs around Rs 2,000, while a non-premium UberGo ride for the same 50-km journey costs about half that amount.
The company aims to eventually reduce ride costs to that of an auto-rickshaw. Its co-founder and CEO, Sarla Aviation, Adrian Schmidt, said, “I think when it comes to the Indian market, pricing is going to be the main differentiator.” India is the largest market for flying taxis globally, he added.
Like Schmidt, its competitor, US-based Archer Aviation, also sees India as its largest market and plans a commercial launch of its e-VTOL, “Midnight,” in 2026. The company has partnered with IndiGo’s parent firm, InterGlobe Enterprises, and will offer a ride carrying five passengers from Connaught Place in Delhi to Gurugram in seven minutes, priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000.
Archer is expected to begin its certification process with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) this year, following a similar process with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In September, the DGCA issued rules for establishing vertiports, from which VTOL aircraft will operate.
Both Archer and Sarla plan to begin flight testing this year. Sarla will unveil its first flying taxi prototype, “Shunya,” at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi. “Out of all the mobility options that we have in India right now that can enable us to become a global superpower, flying taxis are the only solution that can get us there in the next 10-15 years,” Schmidt said.
“Flying taxis are effectively an uncongestible mobility solution. You will never be stuck in traffic if you bring mobility into the air,” he said. “It’s also very capital-efficient to roll out the infrastructure for this because you don’t need to build heavy tunnels, metro rails, or roads. All you need is a flat piece of land to land on,” he added.
For example, in Bengaluru, every building taller than 60 metres is required by law to have a helipad on its roof for fire safety purposes. This infrastructure could support air taxis, although they won’t be able to land directly near a passenger’s house just yet.
Sarla has just raised $10 million in Series A1 funding round, led by Accel, with participation from Flipkart’s Binny Bansal, Nikhil Kamath, and Swiggy’s Sriharsha Majety, among other angel investors. Schmidt founded Sarla Aviation last year with former colleagues Rakesh Gaonkar and Shivam Chauhan, all of whom were working with Munich-based electric aircraft manufacturer Lilium.
“India is at a point in history where it is very close to becoming a global superpower. Historically, superpowers only ever emerge once they find the right mobility system that enables their economies and productivity across all sectors to thrive, and in India right now we don’t have a mobility system that enables us,” he said.
The company plans to use the funds to build two additional prototypes of air taxis, establish an R&D centre in Bengaluru, and expand its team from the current headcount of 30 to 100-120 people over the next six to ten months.
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