Sarla Aviation Partners With Siemens to Accelerate Indian eVTOL Development
The Bengaluru-based startup is deploying the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to streamline the design and certification of its Shunya air taxi.
Bengaluru-based aerospace startup Sarla Aviation has partnered with Siemens to implement the Xcelerator portfolio of industrial software. The collaboration aims to accelerate the development and certification of the company's electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft through a comprehensive digital engineering environment.
To establish a "digital thread" that integrates aircraft design, simulation, and product lifecycle management, Sarla Aviation is deploying a specific suite of Siemens tools. This includes Designcenter for initial design, Simcenter for simulation and validation, and Capital for electrical systems. To manage the rigorous requirements of aviation authority approval, the startup is utilizing Polarion for application lifecycle management and certification, while Teamcenter handles overall product data management.
The Path to Urban Air Mobility
Founded in 2024, Sarla Aviation is targeting the burgeoning Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market with a focus on sustainable and affordable transport for Indian cities. The company's primary vehicle, the Shunya, is a piloted six-passenger electric air taxi. The Shunya is a 700 kg-class (1,500 lb.) vehicle, and the company has already successfully completed hover flight tests using a half-scale technology demonstrator.
Reducing the Prototyping Gap
The adoption of digital twins and integrated software is a strategic move to bypass the prohibitive costs and timelines associated with physical prototyping. By utilizing a digital thread, Sarla can perform high-fidelity simulations early in the process, reducing the number of physical design iterations and improving traceability for certification.
"Our ambition is to make electric air mobility accessible at scale while maintaining the highest standards of safety and performance," said Rakesh Gaonkar, Co-Founder and CTO of Sarla Aviation. Mathew Thomas, Vice President and Managing Director for India at Siemens Digital Industries Software, noted that such digital transformation is critical for scaling new mobility solutions and supporting the certification of next-generation aircraft.
Timeline for Deployment
Certification remains the primary hurdle for the commercial viability of air taxis in India. By streamlining the engineering workflow, Sarla Aviation intends to move more rapidly toward operational status. The startup has set a target to launch its urban air taxi services in India, specifically starting in Bengaluru, by 2028. This timeline reflects the company's commitment to establishing a robust, certified infrastructure for urban flight within the next few years, leveraging the digital thread to ensure that every component of the Shunya meets stringent safety standards before the first commercial flight takes off.