India to Launch Electric Air Ambulances in $1 Billion Deal
- ByStartupStory | February 18, 2025
India is preparing to launch electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air ambulances, marking a major step toward transforming emergency medical services in the country. A $1 billion deal has been signed between IIT-Madras-based startup ePlane Company and ICATT, India’s leading air ambulance provider, to deploy 788 eVTOL air ambulances across the nation.
The eVTOL air ambulances will be electric-powered, producing zero emissions and supporting India’s efforts to promote environmentally sustainable transportation. These aircraft will be equipped to carry a pilot, a paramedic, a patient, and a stretcher, along with essential life-saving medical equipment. With a top speed of 200 km/h and a range of 110 and 200 kilometres per battery charge, the air ambulances will significantly improve response time, particularly in congested urban areas and remote locations.
India becomes one of the first countries to introduce eVTOL air ambulances on a large scale. The deployment of these aircraft across every district in India is expected to reduce the strain on traditional road-based ambulances, which often face long traffic delays.
ePlane Company, founded by Satya Chakravarthy, a professor at IIT-Madras, is targeting to begin operations by the last quarter of 2026. The company will initially produce 100 units per year to meet demand. Chakravarthy’s vision for the eVTOL industry focuses on gradually ramping up air ambulance production, a strategic approach to scaling up operations before expanding into commercial air taxi services. To support the development and certification of other eVTOL aircraft prototypes, ePlane Company is seeking an additional $100 million in funding.
The $1 billion air ambulance deal follows a growing interest in India’s eVTOL market, with the Indian government actively working to relax airspace restrictions to accommodate eVTOLs for medical and commercial use. Other startups, including Archer Aviation and Sarla Aviation, along with global companies like Uber, are also developing eVTOL aircraft for air taxis and logistics.
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