'Shunya' air taxi, with 30km range, goes official in India
What's the story
Bengaluru-based aerospace start-up Sarla Aviation has unveiled its futuristic air taxi prototype 'Shunya.'
The company demonstrated the revolutionary tech at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025.
Set to launch in 2028, Shunya aims to transform urban commuting in India by providing an efficient solution to the problem of traffic and pollution.
Here's all about it.
Performance
A high-speed solution for short trips
Shunya is designed to hit speeds of up to 250km/h, which makes it perfect for short commutes of 20-30km.
The air taxi can fit six passengers inside and carry a maximum load of 680kg.
This makes it an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle with the highest payload capacity in the market.
CEO's statement
Vision for urban mobility in India
Adrian Schmidt, co-founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation, stressed that Shunya is more than just a technological breakthrough.
He said, "Shunya embodies our vision to redefine urban mobility in India."
The company hopes to address issues such as traffic congestion and pollution, thereby unlocking India's economic potential while paving the way for a cleaner and more connected future.
Growth strategy
Sarla Aviation's expansion plans and funding
Founded in October 2023 by Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, and Shivam Chauhan, Sarla Aviation recently raised $10 million in Series A funding.
The round was led by Accel with participation from Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal and Zerodha's co-founder Nikhil Kamath.
After launching in Bengaluru, the firm will expand its air taxi services to other major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune.
Pricing
Pricing strategy and additional services
Sarla Aviation plans to price its air taxi services competitively with current premium taxi services. In a bid to cater to urgent medical needs in cities, the firm also announced plans to launch a free air ambulance service.