Sarla Aviation Begins Testing India's 1st Flying Taxi

An electric flying taxi project in India has moved from drawings and computer simulations to actual hardware testing on the ground. Sarla Aviation, a start-up based in Bangalore, has started testing its half-scale eVTOL demonstrator aircraft, marking what is likely the most advanced stage of electric air taxi development the country has seen. The aircraft, called the SYLLA SYL-X1, has a 7.5 metre wingspan and represents India's largest privately built electric flying machine to date.

The company is backed by Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of the broking platform Zerodha, and is pursuing a clear commercial vision: operating an electric air taxi service for city-to-city transport by 2028. The half-scale demonstrator is not the final product but rather a testing platform designed to validate critical systems before building the full-size version. Engineers are checking how the airframe performs under stress, how the electric motors behave during sustained operation, and whether the flight control software responds correctly to different scenarios.

The eventual full-size aircraft, called Shunya, is designed to carry a pilot and multiple passengers with a total payload of approximately 680 kg. Performance specifications include a cruise speed of 160 kmph and a maximum speed of 250 kmph.

If these numbers hold, a journey from central Bangalore to the airport, which currently takes over two hours in traffic, could be completed in under 20 minutes by air. Operating costs are projected to be comparable with high-end ride services, meaning air taxis would eventually compete with Uber Black rather than remain an ultra-luxury option.

Sarla Aviation completed the demonstrator design and construction in just nine months, which is extraordinarily fast by aerospace standards. Traditional aerospace companies typically take years to develop and test demonstrators.

The rapid timeline suggests either exceptional engineering efficiency or significant risks, or possibly both. The company has secured 13 million dollars in funding and has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a 500-acre facility in Anantapur for manufacturing and testing.

The flying taxi concept has moved beyond speculation in many countries. Joby Aviation in the United States, Lilium in Europe, and several Chinese companies have all conducted passenger flights or secured regulatory approvals to operate. India, however, lags significantly behind.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, has only recently begun discussing the framework for certifying and operating electric aircraft. Commercial trials were tentatively planned for 2026, though timelines have shifted repeatedly.

Sarla Aviation is attempting to become India's first company to deliver a functional electric air taxi service. Success would depend on multiple factors: technical completion of the aircraft, securing regulatory approval from Indian and international aviation bodies, building ground infrastructure like charging stations and vertiports, and convincing customers that flying taxis are safe and worth the cost.

The company claims it aims to launch in Bangalore first, followed by Mumbai and Delhi. Whether it achieves these timelines or slips like many aerospace start-ups do remains uncertain, but the ground testing phase is at least a tangible step forward from concept videos and announcements.