Picture credits: The ePlane Company
India: Chennai-based electric aircraft startup The ePlane Company has announced an agreement to supply 788 air ambulances to the International Critical Care Air Transfer Team (ICATT), a leading air ambulance service provider in India. This deal, valued at over $1 billion, aims to deploy electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft across all districts in the country.
The ePlane Company and ICATT have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to execute this deployment, marking the largest initial agreement in the eVTOL industry. This partnership will enable rapid emergency response services across India, addressing logistical challenges in critical healthcare.
At the core of this initiative is the e200x eVTOL, a compact aircraft with rooftop take-off capability and the power to transport patients seven times faster than road vehicles. eVTOLs, with their battery-powered vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, are expected to transform urban mobility by bypassing traffic bottlenecks. India’s emerging eVTOL sector also includes companies like Archer Aviation and Sarla Aviation.
The ePlane Company plans to commence commercial operations in the latter half of 2026, initially producing 100 units per year. Founder Satya Chakravarthy, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, where the startup is incubated, stated, “This collaboration is a monumental step in expanding aerial medical services. Faster airlifts will bridge the gap between accident sites and medical facilities—reducing fatalities and improving accessibility.”
Dr. Shalini Nalwad, Founder of ICATT, highlighted the impact of this collaboration on organ transplant logistics. “This is going to be a very good solution in terms of organ air-lifts. Ninety-five percent of registered patient recipients die before they get an organ. This is purely because of the lack of logistics, not due to a lack of donors. This collaboration is going to solve this problem and redefine access to healthcare in India,” she said.
The initial eVTOL aircraft will have a range of approximately 110 kilometers (68.4 miles), with future models expected to exceed 200 kilometers. The ePlane Company has secured $20 million in funding to date and plans to develop three prototypes, each accommodating a pilot, a paramedic, and a patient on a stretcher. Chakravarthy noted that an additional $100 million will be needed for further prototypes, type certification, and large-scale manufacturing.
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