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The definition of urban transportation in India is set to undergo a transformation. IndiGo Ventures, the venture capital arm of IndiGo, announced on Friday that it has invested ₹10 crore in Sarla Aviation, a Bengaluru-based aerospace company. The primary objective of this investment is to launch air taxi services in India’s major cities.

Relief from Traffic Jams

Currently, traveling from Gurugram to Noida in the Delhi-NCR region takes anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours during peak traffic hours. However, thanks to the electric aircraft being developed by Sarla Aviation, this journey could be reduced to a mere 15 minutes. Similarly, in cities like Bengaluru, the hours currently spent traveling from the airport to Electronic City will soon be cut down to just minutes.

What is Sarla Aviation’s Technology?

Sarla Aviation is developing eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. The most significant feature of these aircraft is that they do not require a runway; much like helicopters, they can take off and land vertically. Furthermore, they operate on hybrid-electric technology, resulting in lower noise levels and significantly lower operating costs compared to helicopters. Additionally, these aircraft can easily cover distances of up to 300 kilometers—a range sufficient for inter-city travel.

The IndiGo-Sarla Alliance

Adrian Schmit, Co-founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation, stated that for decades, Indians had accepted the notion that distance inevitably meant delay; however, that era is now coming to an end. Partnering with an airline like IndiGo—which has made air travel accessible to millions of Indians—lends significant strength to our vision. Under this partnership, Sarla Aviation will focus on the technical development of the aircraft, while IndiGo will leverage its extensive network, operational experience, and maintenance capabilities to ensure the large-scale success of this service.

Potential Applications of Air Taxis

The companies have not yet disclosed the exact launch date for the business; however, its primary applications are expected to be in passenger travel, medical emergencies, and airport transfers