Bengaluru-based electric air taxi startup receives DGCA Design Organisation Approval, clearing a key regulatory milestone toward commercial production of indigenous eVTOL aircraft
Key Highlights:
- Sarla Aviation has received Design Organisation Approval from the aviation safety regulator.
- The approval enables the company to move its aircraft designs toward DGCA type certification.
- Sarla Aviation is developing indigenous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
- Its Sylla half-scale demonstrator has completed more than 500 flight tests.
- The demonstrator programme has accumulated 18 hours of flight testing.
- The company has partnered with Manipal Hospitals, Prestige Group, Jio-bp and other organisations.
- Sarla Aviation plans to unveil its next prototype in January 2027.
- The next prototype is expected to undertake its transition flight.
Mumbai, August 10: Bengaluru-based electric air taxi startup Sarla Aviation has received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the aviation safety regulator, marking a major regulatory milestone as the company prepares to move toward full commercial production of its indigenous electric aircraft.
The approval was formally handed over to Sarla Aviation by Union Minister for Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu during the inauguration of the company’s new headquarters in Bengaluru on August 8. Karnataka cabinet minister Rizwan Arshad and other officials were also present at the event.
Along with the regulatory approval, Sarla Aviation announced partnerships with Manipal Hospitals, Aeromed Air Ambulance, Prestige Group, Jio-bp, Jeppesen ForeFlight, Hexcel Composites and Tata Elxsi.
Founded in October 2023 by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar and Shivam Chauhan, Sarla Aviation is backed by Accel and angel investors including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal and Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath.
The company recently completed a flight-test campaign for Sylla, its half-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology demonstrator.
The Design Organisation Approval is the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) formal recognition under CAR 21 Subpart J that an organisation has the required design capabilities, procedures and independent checking systems to develop aircraft, systems and components in line with certified standards.
With the approval now in place, Sarla Aviation can take its aircraft designs forward for type certification with the DGCA, representing an important step for India’s indigenous aerospace design and manufacturing capabilities.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said India should ensure that electric air taxi technology is accessible beyond a limited segment of society and metropolitan areas.
He also expressed confidence that the electric air taxi ecosystem could develop significantly in India within the next two years.
The company’s new Bengaluru headquarters brings its design, engineering, testing and commercial teams together under one roof. The facility also houses a full-scale prototype of Shunya, described by the company as India’s first indigenous eVTOL of its class.
Sarla Aviation said its demonstrator programme has completed more than 500 flight tests and 18 hours of flight testing. Visitors to the new facility were also shown various engineering stations covering indigenous motors, an 800-volt powertrain architecture and a flight simulator intended for future pilot training.
Sarla Aviation co-founder Adrian Schmidt said the company aims to develop fully indigenous aerospace systems for passenger transportation and use electric propulsion to localise supply chains, manufacturing and intellectual property ownership in India.
Co-founder and CTO Rakesh Gaonkar said the company follows an aggressive prototype development cycle. According to him, Sarla Aviation plans to deliver a new prototype every 18 months, with the next prototype scheduled to arrive in January 2027 and conduct its transition flight.
The latest regulatory approval strengthens Sarla Aviation’s position as it works toward developing commercially viable electric air taxi technology and building an indigenous eVTOL ecosystem in India.
