Sarla Aviation to invest Rs 1,300 crore in a 500-acre eVTOL ‘giga campus’ in Andhra Pradesh. Discover how this ‘sky factory’ aims to build 1,000 electric air taxis annually and launch urban air mobility in South India by 2029.
Get ready, South India! The future of travel is taking off and it’s happening in Andhra Pradesh. In a landmark move Sarla Aviation has inked a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government to build a massive 500-acre manufacturing campus dedicated entirely to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—commonly known as electric air taxis.
With an initial investment of Rs 1,300 crore, this isn’t just another factory; it’s being planned as a “giga campus” that could redefine India’s position in the global aerospace industry.
A Glimpse into the “Sky Factory”
So, what exactly will this futuristic campus do? The vision is to create a fully integrated ecosystem where eVTOLs are not just assembled but are born, tested, and certified under one roof. The goal is ambitious: to produce up to 1,000 of these next-generation aircraft every year by 2029, supporting air-taxi operations across South Indian cities.
The facility will be a hub of advanced manufacturing, featuring:
- Dedicated production lines for composites, powertrains, and landing gear.
- A two-kilometre dedicated runway and special VTOL testing pads.
- India’s largest wind tunnel for precision aircraft testing.
- Integrated pilot-training simulators and environments.
High-Profile Backing and a Grand Vision
The agreement was formally handed over by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and State Infrastructure Minister BC Janardhan Reddy. This high-level endorsement underscores the project’s national significance.
Rakesh Gaonkar, co-founder and CTO of Sarla Aviation, captured the scale of their ambition, stating, “The world’s biggest sky factory will shape the aircraft of the future and create thousands of high-skill jobs. Our goal is for India to design, build, test, fly and operate advanced eVTOL systems from one integrated campus.”
More Than Manufacturing: Building an Ecosystem
The project’s impact is designed to extend far beyond the campus boundaries. Sarla Aviation is collaborating with the government to co-develop:
- Certification Standards: Creating the regulatory framework for eVTOLs in India.
- Vertiport Networks: Building the takeoff and landing infrastructure in cities.
- Dedicated Air Corridors: Establishing safe flight paths for air taxis.
Furthermore, the company emphasizes sustainability. The campus will integrate renewable energy, water-recycling processes, and biodiversity zones, aiming to be as green as the technology it produces.
A key objective is to boost local industry. By enabling the domestic production of critical aircraft components, the project is expected to significantly increase participation from Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the high-tech aerospace supply chain.
Founded just in 2023, Sarla Aviation is a new but formidable player. With a team comprising talent from global eVTOL leaders like Lilium, Volocopter, and Joby Aviation, the company is developing a six-seater electric flying taxi, positioning India directly in the race for the future of urban air mobility.