Partnership Overview
Tata Elxsi Limited and Sarla Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of Shunya, India's first indigenous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The MoU was signed at Sarla Aviation's newly inaugurated headquarters in Bengaluru.
Roles and Responsibilities
Under the collaboration:
- Tata Elxsi will provide engineering support across avionics including flight control systems, software integration, testing, verification and validation, and certification
- Sarla Aviation will lead the design, development and type certification of the Shunya platform
- The engagement also creates opportunities to extend support across sensor fusion based navigation software, industrial and structural design, and airworthiness test support
Technical Specifications
The Shunya aircraft is:
- A six-seater plus one pilot eVTOL aircraft
- Designed for 300 Km+ range of flight operations
- Combines vertical take-off and landing capability with fixed-wing cruise efficiency
- Enables runway-independent operations and improved propulsion efficiency
Development Timeline
The aircraft's first flight is targeted within the next 18 to 24 months, with certification activities expected to follow.
Strategic Significance
The partnership brings together Sarla Aviation's vision for urban air mobility and Tata Elxsi's expertise in aerospace, software and flight critical digital engineering. Beyond Shunya, the partnership is expected to help strengthen capabilities relevant to:
- Logistics
- Air ambulance services
- Defence-related applications
Leadership Commentary
Adrian Schmidt, Co-Founder & CEO, Sarla Aviation: Emphasized that building a new class of aircraft requires bringing together people and organizations willing to solve unprecedented problems. Noted that Tata Elxsi's experience in complex aerospace systems provides critical capabilities for taking Shunya from concept to reality.
Manoj Raghavan, CEO & Managing Director, Tata Elxsi: Stated that advanced air mobility requires a combination of engineering innovation and ecosystem readiness, and Sarla Aviation's vision for Shunya reflects the ambition driving this transformation.
Jayaraj Rajapandian, Head of Aerospace, Tata Elxsi: Added that Shunya demonstrates how quickly aerospace innovation is evolving in India's technology landscape, creating new opportunities to rethink how people, goods and critical services move.
Company Background
Tata Elxsi is a global design and technology services company that partners with leading organizations across transportation, media and communications, and healthcare. Sarla Aviation is an Indian aerospace company headquartered in Bangalore, founded in 2023 by Adrian Schmidt and Rakesh Gaonkar who previously worked together at Lilium.