Overview
- On December 22, Sarla Aviation began ground testing its half-scale eVTOL demonstrator SYL‑X1 at its Bengaluru facility, a 7.5‑metre‑wingspan aircraft.
- The demonstrator is intended to validate structure, propulsion integration and system‑level safety with certification intent as a bridge to a ~15‑metre full‑scale aircraft.
- Sarla says SYL‑X1 was developed in about nine months in India and is the largest privately developed eVTOL demonstrator in the country.
- Founded in 2023 by former Lilium executives Rakesh Gaonkar and Adrian Schmidt, the company has raised $13 million, grown to nearly 70 engineers and displayed a full‑scale static prototype at Bharat Mobility.
- The program targets commercial air taxi services as early as 2028 with Bengaluru identified as an initial market, contingent on certification and an evolving regulatory framework, with BIAL having signed a 2024 collaboration statement.