Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation, an advanced air mobility company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of Shunya, Sarla Aviation's six-seater plus one pilot electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The partnership brings together Sarla Aviation's vision for urban air mobility and Tata Elxsi's expertise in aerospace, software and flight critical digital engineering to support the aircraft's development, testing and certification.

Under the collaboration, Tata Elxsi will provide engineering support across avionics such as flight control systems, software integration, testing, verification and validation, and certification, while Sarla Aviation will lead the design, development and type certification of the Shunya platform. The engagement also creates opportunities to extend support across sensor fusion based navigation software, industrial and structural design, and airworthiness test support.

Designed for 300 Km+ range of flight operations , Shunya combines vertical take-off and landing capability with fixed-wing cruise efficiency, enabling runway-independent operations and improved propulsion efficiency.

The aircraft's first flight is targeted within the next 18 to 24 months, with certification activities expected to follow. The development reflects the growing role of Indian Aerospace companies in next-generation aircraft and advanced air mobility platforms.