India has initiated discussions with electric vertical take-off and landing (e-VTOL) operators to set up manufacturing bases here, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said. The e-VTOL players can also leverage the country as an export hub.
An e-VTOL aircraft uses electric power to hover, take off and land vertically. They are mostly 6–8 seaters.
Apart from e-VTOL players, talks are on with aircraft makers regarding the possibility of setting up full-scale manufacturing facilities.
“Some e-VTOL players from USA and Canada are interested in setting up their manufacturing facilities and we have invited them over to take a look. e-VTOLs have potential in India and interest from such makers are also tremendous. So we have initiated discussions; let’s see how it works,” he told BusinessLine.
Infra requirements
There are certification processes that need to completed by e-VTOL players, which include ones from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US, and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
According to Scindia, there are certain infrastructural requirements that e-VTOL players would need, including landing and take-off stations, charging stations or pods, and so on.
“I am telling these guys that in the meantime (till the e-VTOL players get certification) you come and explore two things here — setting up a manufacturing base and exploring the routes,” he said.
Meanwhile, urban air mobility major Blade — which has helicopter services in India — has reportedly ordered 20 e-VTOLs from Beta Technologies in April 2021. The first e-VTOL is expected to be delivered in 2024, post certification from FAA. Beta Technologies is one of the several e-VTOL companies that received funds from United Therapeutics to transport human organs.
Scindia said, Blade has helicopter routes in India and its e-VTOL partner can easily piggyback here.
Aircraft manufacturing
Talks have also been initiated with aircraft makers such as Boeing, Airbus, and Pratt & Whitney (engine maker) to set up maintenance, repair and overhaul operations here in India.
“I have told Airbus, Boeing, and three to four other companies to set up (MRO) facilities here because now they have capacity. Earlier they had said that they did not have enough of a fleet. Now we are at 715 (across operators) and we are adding 125-odd planes a year. Why can’t they set it up now?” Scindia said.
Sources say players like Boeing and Airbus export spare parts worth millions of dollars from India.
Manufacturing, Scindia said, is another sector, that was “being looked into very aggressively”. Boeing and Sikorsky already have some component manufacturing JVs in India.
“I am also pushing manufacturing, asking them to come up here because the engineering talent is good,” the minister said, adding that “these will evolve as we go along”.