ePlane signs US$ 1 bn agreement for 788 air ambulances

Under the non-binding agreement, ePlane will supply electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to ICATT, an air ambulance service provider, which plans to deploy them nationwide across all districts in India. ePlane plans to launch commercial operations by late 2026, with an initial annual production of 100 units.

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Indian electric aircraft startup The ePlane Company announced that it has agreed to supply 788 air ambulances in a deal exceeding US$ 1 billion, as the country faces worsening traffic congestion in its major cities. Under the non-binding agreement, ePlane will provide electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to ICATT, an air ambulance service provider, which plans to deploy them across all districts in India. e-VTOLs aim to transform urban mobility with battery-powered aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, offering a solution to traffic gridlock. India’s emerging eVTOL market also includes players like Archer Aviation and Sarla Aviation.

According to its founder Satya Chakravarthy, ePlane expects to begin commercial operations in the latter half of 2026, initially producing 100 units per year. The aircraft will have an initial range of approximately 110 kilometers (68.4 miles), with plans to extend it beyond 200 kilometers.

Having raised US$ 20 million from investors, ePlane will start with three ambulance prototypes, designed to accommodate a pilot, a paramedic, a patient, and a stretcher.

Chakravarthy, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, where the startup is incubated, noted that an additional US$ 100 million would be needed to manufacture more prototypes, achieve type certification, and launch commercial production.