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The venture capital arm of Indian airline IndiGo recently invested $1.2 million in Bangalore-based VTOL aircraft developer Sarla Aviation. The backing from IndiGo Ventures is expected to accelerate the start-up’s efforts to bring its six-seat, hybrid-electric Shunya model to market by early 2030.
Confirming the investment last month, a spokesperson for IndiGo stressed that the airline group is not seeking direct involvement in Sarla’s plans to launch eVTOL air services. “This should not be seen as an endorsement of their eVTOL capabilities,” the company added.
Nonetheless, according to Sarla Aviation co-founder and CEO Adrian Schmidt, IndiGo’s backing boosts the company’s credibility. “IndiGo’s investment marks a turning point, not just for Sarla, but for how India moves,” he commented.
In November 2023, IndiGo’s parent group InterGlobe Enterprises, signed an agreement with Archer Aviation for a partnership intended to lead to it acquiring the Californian manufacturer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. At the time, the partners said air taxi services could start in India during 2026.
Demonstrator Flight Tests
Sarla’s engineering team has been testing a half-scale Shunya demonstrator called the SYL-X1 at an airfield near Bangalore. With a 7.5 meter (25-foot) wingspan, this model is being used for early flight testing before the company starts development of a full-scale prototype in 2027.
The Shunya is expected to have a maximum range of around 800 kilometers (435 nm) and speeds of up to 136 knots. Operating in all-electric mode, the aircraft could fly sectors of up to 82 nm, according to Sarla.
Kushal Mittal, Sarla’s head of creative, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is establishing a so-called advanced air mobility sandbox to support work on regulatory factors such as vertiport development and pilot licensing. Meanwhile Sarla has signed memorandums of understanding with airports in Bengalore, Kochi and Hyderabad and has also been in discussions with Australia-based vertiport developer Skyportz.
The company was named after Sarla Thukral, who was India’s first female pilot. In 1936, at the age of 21, she received her pilot’s license and made a solo flight in a Gypsy Moth airplane.
