The ePlane Company unveils full-scale e200X prototype, eyes certified flight tests by mid-2027
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The ePlane Company, an IIT Madras-incubated aerospace startup, has unveiled the first full-scale prototype of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the e200X, marking a key milestone in India’s advanced air mobility ambitions. The unveiling comes after five years of research and development and over 10,000 km of cumulative test flights across its prototype platforms.
The prototype, designated PT-01, was unveiled at the company’s new 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Chennai. The company said the aircraft received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2023 and is now preparing for certified flight testing targeted for mid-2027.
The e200X is a 2.2-ton electric aircraft built entirely from carbon-fibre composites. Measuring 8 metres by 11 metres, the company claims it is among the world’s most compact winged passenger eVTOL aircraft, a design intended to allow operations from existing helipads and, eventually, standard urban rooftops instead of purpose-built vertiports.
According to the company, it has already secured commitments for more than 800 aircraft, with a significant portion expected to be deployed for emergency medical services, enabling faster transport of trauma patients than road ambulances. “An aircraft that demands a city rebuild its entire skyline around it is a failure of engineering, not a triumph,” said Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, founder and technical lead of The ePlane Company.
“We started with the market, not the technology, that discipline is what led to the synergistic lift architecture we patented back in 2019, now granted in more than 30 countries. We built our first prototype, flew it for over 10,000 kilometres, and earned our Design Organisation Approval from the DGCA in 2023, one certified step at a time. PT-01 is what that patience looks like when it finally takes physical shape," he said.
The aircraft can carry one pilot and up to two passengers or 200 kg of cargo, with an operational range of around 110 km on a single charge. It is powered by an 800-volt electric propulsion system and uses the company’s patented “Synergistic Lift” wing architecture, designed to generate lift efficiently at low speeds while maintaining a compact footprint.
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On the technology front, the e200X integrates NVIDIA’s IGX Thor computing platform and Omniverse digital twin technology for simulation and validation, while Germany’s HENSOLDT provides navigation and situational-awareness systems. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has developed software for the aircraft’s battery management system and predictive fleet analytics.
The company said the full-scale prototype builds on lessons from its earlier ATVA demonstrator and e50 heavy-lift drone, which together have completed over 10,000 km of cumulative test flights.
Founded in 2019, ePlane has raised $21.5 million to date from investors including Speciale Invest, Antares Ventures and Naval Ravikant. Its board includes former IndiGo CEO and Akasa Air co-founder Aditya Ghosh and former JetBlue Chief Digital and Technology Officer Eash Sundaram.