ePlane Secures $1 Billion Deal for 788 Air Ambulances in India
ePlane, an Indian electric aircraft startup, has secured a significant non-binding agreement valued at over $1 billion to supply 788 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air ambulances to ICATT, an air ambulance service provider. This deal aims to help address India’s growing traffic congestion by deploying these innovative aircraft across all districts in the country. eVTOLs are designed to revolutionize urban travel by providing a battery-powered solution capable of vertical takeoff and landing, offering commuters a way to avoid traffic gridlocks.
The aircraft will initially have a range of about 110 kilometers, with plans to extend it to over 200 kilometers in the future. ePlane, which has already raised $20 million in funding, aims to begin commercial operations by the latter half of 2026, with an initial production of 100 units per year. The first prototypes of the air ambulances will be equipped to carry a pilot, a paramedic, and a patient, with plans for further expansion and certification to meet commercial production needs.
Founder Satya Chakravarthy, who is also a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras where the startup is incubated, emphasized that the air ambulance initiative will allow ePlane to ramp up production more effectively compared to launching air taxis. The company estimates that an additional $100 million will be needed to manufacture more prototypes, achieve certification, and kickstart large-scale production.
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