India’s First Flying Taxi To Debut Next Year: Anand Mahindra

India is likely to see its first flying electric taxi as early as next year, according to Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group. The electric taxi is being developed by the ePlane Company, incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mahindra hinted that the launch of the electric flying taxi will happen “sometime next year”. This marks a significant advancement in India’s journey towards electric air mobility. Mahindra also commented that IIT Madras has become one of the world’s most exciting and active incubators and said, “Thanks to them and the rapidly growing number of ambitious incubators throughout India, we’re no longer seen as a country that lacks genuine innovators”

The ePlane e200 aircraft will have a capacity of two passengers and a payload capacity of up to 200 kg. Furthermore, ePlane Company claims the flying taxi will have a range of up to 200 km and have vertical takeoff capability, will be affordable and a footprint of 5x5 metres. The ePlane Company claims to reduce a travel time of 60 minutes in a car to 14 minutes using the e200 air taxi. 

The ePlane Company also claims its flying taxi can be easily certified under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) guideless for certification for VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) vehicles.