Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation Sign MoU to Develop Shunya eVTOL Aircraft in India
Why It MattersThe tie-up signals growing engineering and certification collaboration behind India's emerging eVTOL sector, linking established technology firms with new aircraft developers.
Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on developing Shunya, a six-seater-plus-pilot electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft described as India's first indigenous eVTOL. The agreement was signed at Sarla Aviation's newly inaugurated Bengaluru headquarters on September 1, 2026, attended by Manoj Raghavan, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Elxsi; Adrian Schmidt, Co-Founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation; and Rakesh Gaonkar, Co-Founder and CTO of Sarla Aviation.
Under the partnership, Tata Elxsi will provide engineering support across avionics, flight control systems, software integration, testing, verification and validation, and certification, while Sarla Aviation leads design, development and type certification of the Shunya platform. The engagement also covers sensor fusion-based navigation software, industrial and structural design, and airworthiness test support.
Shunya is designed for flight operations with a range exceeding 300 kilometres, combining vertical take-off and landing capability with fixed-wing cruise efficiency for runway-independent operations. Its first flight is targeted within the next 18 to 24 months, with certification activities to follow. Sarla Aviation, founded in 2023 by Schmidt and Gaonkar, who previously worked together at Lilium, is headquartered in Bengaluru and develops eVTOL aircraft aimed at connecting cities and regions across India; beyond Shunya, the partnership is expected to support capabilities relevant to logistics, air ambulance services and defence-related applications.
