New Delhi: India is set to join a select group of nations with an on-road vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) air ambulance service.
A $1 billion agreement has been signed with ePlane Company, an IIT-Madras-incubated startup, to supply 788 electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) air ambulances across the country.
These eVTOL air ambulances will be delivered to ICATT, India’s leading air ambulance firm, which will then deploy these aircraft across every district in India.
The introduction of eVTOLs will mark a significant enhancement of emergency medical response. It will also address the challenge of growing traffic congestion in Indian cities and towns, and ensure eco-friendly transportation as these aircraft are fully electric.
ePlane Company is aiming to begin air ambulance operations by the last quarter of 2026, according to its founder Satya Chakravarthy.
The firm will have a production capability of 100 units per year, Chakravarthy told Reuters.
Three air ambulance prototypes are being developed, keeping in mind different geographical conditions and population densities. Each aircraft will accommodate a pilot, a paramedic, a patient, and a stretcher, along with essential life-saving medical devices and kits.
These eVTOL air ambulances will have a top speed of 200 kmph and a flight range between 110 km and 200 km per charge, making them suitable for both urban and remote locations.
“We can ramp up our production and put things into the market to good use much more effectively with an air ambulance than directly going to an air taxi. It’s possible for us to scale air ambulances more organically, compared to rushing into air taxi operations,” Chakravarthy said.
