{"id":"f-e550251d2f-3798fae2-b987-585f-91d2-fadaa19375bd","title":"The ePlane Company opens testing facility for air taxi at IIT Madras: Here's what it will do there","description":"The e200X has been specifically built to navigate the complexities of the world's most densely populated cities.","timestamp":1772097486,"category":"technology","headline":"The ePlane Company opens testing facility for air taxi at IIT Madras: Here's what it will do there","modifiedHeadline":"ePlane Company Launches eVTOL Prototype Facility","subCategories":["scid_a90e78c8"],"subcategoriesName":["Innovation"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"7b48871c-c993-4956-b43d-6f46f8e1b036","bundleTitle":"Today In India","cardData":null},"fcSummary":"the eplane company, incubated at iit madras, launched india’s largest evtol prototyping facility in chennai. the 60,000 sq ft site enables serial production of electric aircraft and full-scale prototyping for urban air mobility. the facility aims to drive technical advancements, with a focus on compact designs for dense cities and collaboration with the dgca to shape aviation regulations.","summary":"ePlane Co. opens India's 1st eVTOL facility at IIT Madras, advancing urban air mobility & setting new aviation standards.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/Daily_Digest/IN/en/cnbc-tv18/f-e550251d2f-3798fae2-b987-585f-91d2-fadaa19375bd","sourceUrl":"https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/startup/the-eplane-company-opens-testing-facility-for-air-taxi-at-iit-madras-details-ws-l-19858501.htm","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/r_pLDcXyhy00.webp","content":"The ePlane Company, an IIT Madras-incubated aerospace venture, has launched India’s largest integrated eVTOL prototyping and testing facility at the IIT Madras Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, Chennai.\n\n
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\n The 60,000-square-foot site is the country's first integrated plant dedicated to the serial production of electric aircraft, marking a transition to manufacturing flight-ready hardware and certification-grade full-scale prototyping for urban air mobility.\n
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\n Professor V Kamakoti, a Padma Shri laureate and IIT Madras Director, officially inaugurated the facility.\n
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\n This specialised centre is designed to drive critical technical achievements, such as tethered hover trials, as the firm advances toward Type Certification. By consolidating design, assembly, and testing units under one roof, the facility acts as a central engineering powerhouse for the development of passenger, emergency relief, and cargo eVTOLs.\n\n
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\n To facilitate subsystem validation and full-scale development, the site features avionics testing, composite fabrication, electric powertrain assembly, and a dedicated Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) facility.\n
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\n The e200X has been specifically built to navigate the complexities of the world's most densely populated cities. Unlike many international rivals that demand expansive landing infrastructure, this aircraft features a remarkably small 8m x 10m footprint. As the world's most compact eVTOL, this design allows for efficient rooftop-to-rooftop transit without the need for massive landing pads.\n\n
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\n The establishment of this prototyping centre represents a monumental leap for India's deep-tech hardware landscape. Beyond design approvals, it enables the physical integration and validation of complicated aircraft systems.\n
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\n Furthermore, by collaborating with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to establish testing standards, The ePlane Company is playing a foundational role in drafting the regulatory framework for the future of electric aviation in the country.\n
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\n This prototyping centre serves as the physical foundation for India's homegrown aerospace advancements. It offers a specialised environment focused on constructing energy-efficient, zero-emission mobility solutions that are engineered to address the unique transit challenges of the world’s densest cities.\n\n
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\n According to Prof Satya Chakravarthy, Founder and Technical Lead of The ePlane Company, this new facility serves as the primary driver for the firm's commercial growth. \"With the support of IIT Madras, we have built a space where we can fulfil our vision of making flying as common and affordable as taking a taxi. This isn't just about moving people; it’s about adding another layer of transport to the future of human mobility,\" he said.","readDurationInMinutes":"4","author":{"name":"CNBC TV18","logo":"https://glance-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/bubble/jpeg/ecc3d19b-fc52-4a39-881c-5b0936ae723b.jpeg"},"ism":false,"analyticsResponses":[{"measurementId":"383191425","type":"COMSCORE"}],"pointerSummary":["The ePlane Company launched India’s first eVTOL prototyping facility in Chennai, advancing urban air mobility.","The 60,000 sq ft site enables full-scale prototyping & testing for passenger, cargo, & emergency eVTOLs.","The facility aims to shape India’s electric aviation regulations, collaborating with the DGCA for testing standards."],"tags":["TheePlaneCompany","IITMadras","eVTOL","AirTaxi","UrbanAirMobility","e200X","AerospaceInnovation","IndiaTech","ElectricAircraft","PrototypingFacility","Chennai","Thaiyur","VibrationKamakoti","SatyaChakravarthy","DeepTechHardware","DGCA","ZeroEmissionMobility","FutureOfTransport"],"redirectionEnabled":false,"consent":true}

The ePlane Company opens testing facility for air taxi at IIT Madras: Here's what it will do there

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