Flying Past Gridlock
India’s most ambitious urban mobility startup, The ePlane Co., is building the future of flight: the e200X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Aviation maverick and co-founder of Akasa Air, Aditya Ghosh, gives us the details.
By Rachna Virdi
On average, we spend nearly three years of our lives stuck in traffic, particularly in Indian cities, which are up to 150% more congested than other major urban centres in Asia. The implications extend beyond mere inconvenience: traffic congestion is estimated to have cost the Indian economy between three and five per cent of its GDP. Even more alarming is the human toll, with one road fatality occurring every four minutes. In response to these mounting challenges, companies worldwide are actively working to solve the urban air mobility puzzle.
Among them is The ePlane Co., based in Chennai. Aditya Ghosh—Founder of Homage, Co-founder of Akasa Air, and an investor in The ePlane Co.—says the company is developing India’s first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) project as a solution to urban mobility. Ghosh, a prominent figure in the aviation industry, shares, “The e200X, the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) passenger aircraft, is currently being designed and developed in India, but our vision is global. It is the largest vertical takeoff passenger aircraft being developed by The ePlane Co., founded by Professor Satya Chakravarthy and incubated at IIT Madras, alongside the space startup Agnikul Cosmos. I am proud to be an investor in the company and to serve on its board.”
e200x is a compact VTOL aircraft being envisioned as a solution for passenger mobility.
e200X is the future of aviation
The vertical mobility project, e200X is a compact eVTOL aircraft being envisioned as a solution for passenger mobility. The first application is urban transportation. Ghosh points out, “Think you’re at Bengaluru airport and want to get to the heart of the city. What currently takes 1.5 hours could be reduced to just seven or eight minutes. In India, it takes an average of 30 minutes to two hours for an ambulance to reach a patient. Imagine if one could access a patient for emergency evacuation and address rural healthcare issues using e200X. The idea is to find a solution where you can skip roads completely and go from point A to point B within a city or over a
hilly terrain.”
Offering another compelling example, he cites the journey from Dehradun to Mussoorie—a 35-kilometre stretch with 25 hairpin bends that typically takes three to four hours due to traffic. “Imagine if there were a solution that could complete this trip in just 10 minutes,” he says, “on a flight that takes off and lands in a space no larger than half a basketball court, and costs the customer less than twice the price of an Uber ride.” The eVTOL aircraft promises to dramatically accelerate intra-city commutes and cargo transport, easing urban congestion and making travel significantly more efficient. For e-commerce companies—where logistics can account for up to 47% of total costs—the e200X represents a game-changing solution. Its technology is designed to streamline urban logistics and revolutionise cargo delivery, particularly for temperature-sensitive goods, by completing critical missions in mere minutes.
The e-plane is designed to carry one pilot with two passengers, or a pilot, a paramedic and a patient, or just a pilot with cargo. The company has already signed an MOU to deploy one air ambulance per district, and with over 700 districts in India alone, the potential for its impact is immense.
Even more exciting is the flight path, which is optimised by AI that predefines the trajectory between the origin and destination. This will ensure that multiple eVTOLs can fly simultaneously at different altitudes, ensuring smooth and efficient parallel operations. The booking is simple, through an app operating the service.
Aditya Ghosh, Founder of Homage, Co-founder, Akasa Air, and an investor in The ePlane Co.
The e200X, the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) passenger aircraft, is currently being designed and developed in India, but our vision is global.
Aditya Ghosh
Investor in The ePlane Co.
The technology behind e200X
e200X is unique in its design and backed by regulatory recognition—The ePlane Co. is the only Indian company to have received Design Organisation Approval from the DGCA
(Director General of Civil Aviation). At the heart of this innovative technology is a patented approach called synergistic lift, which combines the aerodynamic efficiency of fixed wings with the vertical lift capability of rotors, powered by a battery system.
The concept, originally inspired by a NASA design philosophy, is now patented in over 30 countries worldwide.
The e200X aircraft is being built not just for India but also for the global markets. To ensure safety, the company has incorporated five levels of redundancy. Unlike helicopters, which rely on a single main rotor, the e-plane features multiple rotors and a distributed electric propulsion system. Furthermore, the aircraft is powered by advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks, enabling it to identify, recognise, and avoid obstacles automatically for a safer and more efficient flight experience.
Ghosh explains, “We faced and solved several complex engineering challenges. How will the aircraft take off from extremely compact spaces? How can it perform multiple missions on a single charge, requiring it to fly slowly, safely, and efficiently, all with a battery that recharges in under 30 minutes? We’ve developed a subscale prototype and are now advancing toward a full-scale, state-of-the-art version of the e200X—India’s most compact and capable eVTOL solution.”
e200x will contribute significantly to tourism by making remote destinations easily accessible.
Opening new possibilities for tourism
Ghosh is optimistic that e200X aircraft will contribute to the future growth and transformation of India’s tourism sector. “This is an incredibly exciting space for both India and the world. One of the most promising applications of this aircraft will be in ecotourism, making remote and beautiful destinations more accessible. For instance, Hogenakkal Falls, a stunning location near Bengaluru, currently takes about four hours to reach by road. With the e200X, that journey could be reduced to just a 20-minute flight. This opens up countless opportunities for tourism, with aerial experiences, customised tours, and luxury travel becoming more feasible, creating new possibilities for both local and international tourism.”
Currently, The ePlane Co. is focused on the design, development, and manufacturing of the aircraft. “We are in the business of creating the equipment—much like a car
or aircraft manufacturer,” says Ghosh. “There will be several companies either purchasing it for commuter services or personal use. Thanks to the brilliant team at IIT Madras, I’m privileged to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative. This isn’t a distant dream—it could become a reality within the next three years.”