Aerospace startup Sarla Aviation raises $10 million in funding led by Accel

Sarla Aviation, an aerospace startup named after India’s first woman pilot, Sarla Thukral, has raised $10 million in a fresh funding round led by Accel.

The round saw participation from angel investors, including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Swiggy co-founder Sriharsha Majety.

Aiming to introduce electric air taxis

Founded in 2024 by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar and Shivam Chauhan, the Bengaluru-based company aims to introduce electric air taxis to ease congestion in busy Indian cities.

The startup plans to use the funding to establish a research and development centre in Bengaluru, scale its team beyond its current 30 employees and develop new prototypes to refine its technology.

Sarla Aviation’s first prototype

Sarla Aviation’s first prototype, named Shunya (which means zero in Hindi), is set for a public showcase on January 17 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi. Shunya is designed to carry up to 680 kilograms, including six passengers plus a pilot. This approach departs from most flying taxi concepts, which usually accommodate just two to four passengers, but Sarla Aviation believes a shorter range of about 160 kilometres is acceptable if it can move heavier payloads at competitive prices.

Adrian Schmidt, a German citizen and co-founder of Sarla Aviation, previously worked with the Munich-based air taxi venture Lilium, as well as in the automotive sector with Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. He moved to Bengaluru in 2023, drawn by India’s market potential and the opportunity to develop an all-electric flying taxi service.

Commercial operations to begin in 2028

Sarla Aviation’s planned commercial operations are slated to begin in 2028, starting with airport transfers in Bengaluru before expanding to Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. The startup also intends to launch a free air ambulance service alongside its commercial ride-sharing flights.

Last year, Sarla Aviation partnered with Bengaluru International Airport to prepare for the rollout of its flying taxi service, while other players like The ePlane Company and Archer Aviation are also eyeing the Indian market.

"Sarla Aviation’s vision of affordable flying taxis addresses critical urban challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and the need for rapid medical response,” Pratik Agarwal, principal at Accel.