Sarla Aviation to invest Rs 1,300 Cr in Andhra Pradesh for new aerospace facility

Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation has announced that it will invest ₹1,300 crore to set up a 500-acre aerospace manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh.  

The company said the new complex will be a next-generation, integrated Urban Air Mobility (UAM) giga facility that will produce electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and support India’s shift toward aerial mobility.

"With an initial investment of INR 1,300 crore and significant additional investment planned in the future, the project positions India as a global contender in future aviation technologies," the company said in a statement.

The facility is expected to become India’s first fully integrated ecosystem for eVTOL manufacturing, flight testing, certification, training, and maintenance. Once operational, it will be able to produce up to 1,000 aircraft a year.

The company said that only a few places in the world — like California and Munich — are currently emerging as major centres for eVTOL manufacturing. It added that under the Chief Minister’s leadership, Andhra Pradesh is on track to become the next global hub for this rapidly growing industry.

"We are honoured to contribute to this historic transformation and look forward to building an advanced ecosystem for air mobility in the state," the statement said.

About Sarla Aviation

Founded in 2023 by Rakesh Gaonkar, Adrian Schmidt and Shivam Chauhan, Sarla Aviation brings together global expertise from leading eVTOL developers such as Lilium, Volocopter, and Joby Aviation. Its main project is a six-seater electric flying taxi designed to cut travel time in heavily congested cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune, making air mobility easier for daily commuters and business travellers.

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The planned sky factory will include advanced manufacturing lines for composites, powertrain systems, wire harnesses, landing gear, flight control computers, and embedded systems. It will also feature India’s largest wind tunnel, a two-kilometre runway, and VTOL testing pads. The campus will house R&D labs, simulation centres, pilot training units, and MRO facilities — supporting the full lifecycle of eVTOL aircraft within India.

The company said the campus is being designed with sustainability in mind, integrating renewable energy, water recycling, and circular economy practices.

Sarla Aviation is also working with the Andhra Pradesh government to co-develop certification infrastructure and dedicated UAM corridors to begin commercial air taxi services across South Indian cities by 2029.

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