According to reports, Chennai-based business The ePlane Company is working on solutions to reduce urban congestion and hopes to have a certified flying electric taxi prototype by March of next year. The company, which was founded out of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras, also plans to start selling its drones in the near future with a payload capacity of two to six kilograms.

Founder and CEO of ePlane Company Satya Chakravarthy announced that the company is working on an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. Initially, it will be a three- or four-seater that can be turned into an air ambulance.

“By March next year is when we expect to develop the first certifiable prototype. It will take another couple of years to get the certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),” Chakravarthy says.

According to the startup's website, an ePlane may arrive at a location in 14 minutes compared to a personal vehicle's 60-minute travel time. The startup wants to use eVTOLs to reduce traffic in urban areas.

In addition, The ePlane company is creating drones, which should be available for purchase in the upcoming months. It intends to release a basic category of drones first, followed by an upgraded category.

Chakravarthy says that both sets of drones 2-6 kg payload and up to 50 kg payload will be able to fly up 40-60 kilometres.

InterGlobe Enterprises and US-based Archer Aviation, on the other hand, intend to introduce an all-electric air taxi service in India in 2026. The service will transport customers in just seven minutes from Connaught Place in the nation's capital to Gurugram in Haryana.