BENGALURU: The ePlane Company, which is building India’s first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, expects its first full-scale passenger eVTOL to begin flight tests in about two months, with the prototype nearing completion and ground runs set to start soon. Founder of the IIT-Madras incubated firm, Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy told TOI in an exclusive interview that the team is working through the final stages of assembly, with initial hovering trials planned at the company’s 250-acre IDAS satellite campus. A separate site for cruise-flight testing is being scouted and is likely to be fixed before Feb 2026. Alongside the flight-test schedule, the company has laid out its certification pathway with the DGCA. Chakravarthy said: “The air ambulance variant is expected to secure approval by the early second half of 2027, followed by air taxi and cargo versions before the end of 2027.”

The programme is aligned with India’s new standards for VTOL capable aircraft, which he said can be harmonised with EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and US’ FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) norms. “The second and third prototype would follow quickly, drawing from lessons of the first airframe to support qualification and certification trials,” he added.On costs and operations, he said the focus so far has been on developing and certifying the aircraft, though the company is in talks with operators for air ambulance and air taxi use. They expect operating costs to fall enough for insurance coverage to become viable, with air ambulance flights targeted at Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 compared to current helicopter tariffs of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.“The compact footprint of the aircraft, which allows rooftop operations, is central to ongoing discussions with property developers and airports. Demonstrations from constrained sites could be attempted by late 2026,” Chakravarthy said, adding that wider adoption could scale quickly once services begin.On manufacturing, he said the IIT-Madras satellite campus will remain an R&D facility. The company is looking for a production partner for an initial output of about 100 aircraft a year, scaling to roughly 900 or 1,000 within a few years. Talks with potential assemblers are under way and expected to gather pace once flight tests start.