Chennai-based startup The ePlane Company is working on India’s first electric air taxi, the e200x, using advanced simulation and computing technologies
to accelerate development and improve safety. The company has created a highly detailed digital twin of the aircraft using Nvidia’s Omniverse platform. This virtual model allows engineers to test flight dynamics, sensors and emergency scenarios in a simulated environment before real-world flights begin. The air taxi will also use Nvidia’s onboard computing systems to process data from cameras and radar, enabling real-time decision-making for safer operations. By logging millions of virtual flight kilometres first, the startup aims to make urban air mobility more reliable and secure. The collaboration highlights a growing intersection between aviation and high-performance computing, as complex simulations require powerful GPU-driven infrastructure to replicate real-world physics in real time. Beyond testing, the digital twin can act as a predictive maintenance tool, mirroring aircraft components to detect potential issues early and reduce operational risks. According to Bakthakolahalan Shyamsundar, principal engineer for avionics systems and autonomy at The ePlane Company, the virtual testing environment allows the aircraft to undergo extensive learning before physical deployment. He said the approach enables engineers to explore rare scenarios, refine algorithms and validate decisions in a digital setting so that safety remains uncompromised in actual flight operations. The project marks an important step for India’s emerging urban air mobility sector and signals broader ambitions to develop next-generation aviation technologies domestically.
