Air taxi from Sarla Aviation, India
Sarla Aviation Shunyalaunch date, fares and status
Shunya itself has not flown: a full-scale static model was shown in January 2025, and a half-scale demonstrator (Sylla 1.0) completed a six-month hover test campaign announced on 1 July 2026 (500+ tests, 18+ hours). India's DGCA granted Sarla a Design Organisation Approval on 8 August 2026; the next demonstrator, due in January 2027, is meant to show the switch from hover to wing-borne flight.
How far it has got
- Prototype
- Testing
- Certifying
- Certified
- Flying passengers
Prototype: built or shown, little or no real flying.
This aircraft won't be sold to individuals; you'll book a seat with an operator once service starts.
Not bookable: India's aviation minister wants air taxis in public use around 2028 and Sarla plans to start in Bengaluru, but its co-founder targets a full-scale flying Shunya only in June 2028, with type certification to follow.
Key facts
- Founded in Bengaluru in October 2023 by former Lilium staff Adrian Schmidt (CEO) and Rakesh Gaonkar (CTO).
- Raised about $13 million in total, including a $10 million Series A1 in January 2025 led by Accel with Nikhil Kamath and angel investors such as Binny Bansal; IndiGo took a stake worth about Rs 10 crore in 2026.
- Received India's first DGCA Design Organisation Approval for an eVTOL maker in August 2026.
- Has a partnership with Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) to study airport-to-city air taxi links, vertiports and air traffic management; the airport-to-Electronic City hop is pitched at about 19 minutes.
- Signed an avionics and certification support deal with Tata Elxsi in September 2026 and plans a 500-acre manufacturing campus in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.
Fares and how to ride
Specifications
Questions people ask
How much will a Sarla Shunya air taxi ride cost?
No fare has been set. Sarla has said early fares would be similar to the most expensive Uber or Ola cab rides, falling over time. A Rs 1,700 airport-to-Electronic City figure seen in 2024 press reports was not confirmed by the company.
When can you ride the Sarla Shunya?
Not for several years. India's government is aiming for air taxis around 2028, but Sarla plans to fly a full-scale Shunya for the first time around June 2028, and it must then complete DGCA type certification before carrying passengers in Bengaluru.
Do you need a pilot's license to ride the Sarla Shunya?
No. Shunya is designed to carry six passengers with a pilot flying for the operator.
Has the Sarla Shunya actually flown?
No. Only a half-scale demonstrator has flown, completing hover tests in the first half of 2026. The full-size Shunya shown in January 2025 was a static model, and the first full-scale flight is targeted for mid-2028.
Sources
- Sarla Aviation: Sarla Aviation unveils first-ever flying taxi of India in Delhi (January 2025)
- New Atlas: India's largest eVTOL demonstrator completes flight tests to propel its homegrown air taxi ambitions (July 2026)
- Aviation Today (India): India Targets Electric Air Taxis By 2028 As Sarla Advances eVTOL Testing In Bengaluru (August 2026)
- Aviation Jeta: Sarla Aviation Takes Shunya eVTOL Programme Towards Type Certification (August 2026)
- Indian Defence News: TATA Elxsi And Sarla Aviation Join Forces To Develop Shunya (September 2026)
- Analytics India Magazine: Air taxi startup Sarla Aviation raises $10 million from Accel, Nikhil Kamath and others (January 2025)
- Tech Times: DGCA Grants Sarla Aviation First eVTOL Design Approval Under India's 2024 Air Taxi Framework (August 2026)
- YourStory: IndiGo invests in air-taxi maker Sarla Aviation (April 2026)
- Wikipedia: Sarla Aviation (October 2026)
Last checked October 17, 2026. Makers revise prices and dates often; confirm with Sarla Aviation before paying a deposit. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
