news 
Accel doubles down on Sarla Aviation’s ambition to develop electric air taxis in India
BENGALURU, INDIA – In a major boost to its ambitions, India-based electric air taxi startup Sarla Aviation has secured $10 million in an all-equity Series A1 funding round led by Accel. This fresh investment comes after the startup had previously raised around $X in seed funding from investors.
According to reports, Sarla Aviation aims to showcase its first air taxi prototype, called Shunya (meaning “zero” or “nothingness” in Hindi), at an upcoming industry event in New Delhi on January 17. The company is expected to start testing prototypes later this year and plans to launch its commercial air taxi service sometime in 2028.
Initially, the startup will focus on providing airport transfers in one of the world’s most congested cities – Bengaluru. Subsequently, it plans to expand its services to other major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune. To further accelerate its growth, Sarla Aviation also intends to offer a free air ambulance service parallel to its commercial ride-sharing services.
In an exclusive interview with TechCrunch, the startup’s CEO Adrian Schmidt emphasized that they would price their air taxi tickets similarly to those of top-end ride-hailing services like Uber or Ola. He further hinted that the fares may eventually be comparable to what Indian commuters typically pay for an auto-rickshaw, which is significantly lower than international standards.
The development comes at a time when multiple well-funded competitors, including Archer Aviation and ePlane, are also gearing up to launch flying taxi services in India next year.
Source: techcrunch.com
