VTOL Aviation India

VTOL Aviation India Pvt. Ltd'. is a company formed to promote advanced technology products under the 'Make In India' initiative. The company is developing battery-powered eVTOL aircraft for cargo and passenger transport - a two-seat and four-seat version. They are optionally piloted and are foreseen to have commercial and defense applications.

Ready for production, UAS-5_Aarav... pic.twitter.com/PaTukA6uaW

— VTOL Aviation India Pvt Ltd (@VTOL_AVIATION) May 19, 2019

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL air taxi

Powerplant: Undisclosed type of batteries

Range: 380 miles

Top Speed: 50-150 mph for model 1, with a plan to increase for model 2

Propeller Configuration: Battery-operated propellers

Passenger/Payload Capacity: Two or four passengers

Autonomy Level: Semi-autonomous

Wingspan/Dimensions: 10.8m x 7.5 m

Additional Information

Company Name: VTOL Aviation India, in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

Headquarters: Navi Mumbai, India

Zephyr Airworks CEO: Kalyan Chowdhury

Funding: $150 million already invested with a plan for $2 billion total from internal sources and bank loans.

Entry Into Service: Expected 2025

VTOL Aviation India is striving to be the first in the aerospace sector to achieve the 'Make in India' goal - a government-launched initiative to encourage 100% of a product to be manufactured domestically. With Indian nationalism behind them, the company has been able to quickly develop small-scale, proof-of-concept prototypes for its take on urban air mobility. Kalyan Chowdhury, who has valuable experience in the Shipping and Logistics Industry, is advantageously teaming with resources at IITK that have the time and experience necessary for this project. The company seems to be well-poised to be a breakthrough for the aviation sector in India, though it does face strong international competition that is expected to be quicker to market. That being said, VTOL Aviation India has a steadfast commitment to safety with its focus on the vehicles' robust battery management system - any delay in entry into service compared to competitors could easily be outweighed by safer onboard systems.