Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation will invest an initial Rs 1,300 crore to set up a 500-acre aerospace manufacturing campus in Andhra Pradesh for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The commitment follows the signing of an MoU with the state government, with additional investment planned as the project expands, as per media reports.
The proposed facility is being designed as an integrated production ecosystem covering eVTOL manufacturing, flight testing, certification and maintenance. The company aims to build up to 1,000 aircraft annually across composites, powertrains, landing gear systems, wire harnesses and embedded flight-control computers. The campus will also include a two-kilometre runway, VTOL testing pads, a large-scale wind tunnel and pilot-training environments.
The agreement was formally handed over by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and state infrastructure minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy. The firm said the project aligns with the government’s long-term vision to expand local aerospace manufacturing and urban air-mobility infrastructure.
Sarla Aviation is also working with the state to co-develop certification frameworks, R&D systems, vertiports and dedicated corridors for air-taxi operations across major South Indian cities by 2029. The campus will incorporate renewable-energy systems, water-recycling processes and biodiversity zones. According to the company, the initiative is expected to boost MSME participation in the aerospace supply chain by enabling domestic manufacturing of critical components.
Founded in 2023, Sarla Aviation is developing a six-seater electric air taxi and employs talent from global eVTOL companies such as Lilium, Volocopter and Joby Aviation. |
