Tata Elxsi, Sarla Aviation Sign MoU for Shunya eVTOL

Key facts

• Tata Elxsi Limited and Sarla Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop the Shunya, a six-seater plus pilot electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
• Tata Elxsi will provide engineering capabilities in avionics, flight control systems, software integration, testing, verification, validation and certification.
• Sarla Aviation will lead the design, development and type certification of the Shunya platform.
• The Shunya is designed for flight operations exceeding 300 kilometres, combining vertical take-off and landing with fixed-wing cruise efficiency for runway-independent operations.
• The first flight of the Shunya is targeted within 18-24 months, with certification activities expected to follow.
• The collaboration may extend to sensor fusion-based navigation software, structural design and airworthiness test support, and eventually to logistics, air ambulance and defence applications.