Sarla Aviation, an aerospace startup developing electric aircraft for flying taxis has raised $10 million in Series A1 funding round led by Accel and Nikhil Kamath.
The round also saw participation from angel investors including Binny Bansal (Flipkart), Sriharsha Majety (Swiggy), Abhiraj Singh Bhal (Urban Company), Abhishek Goyal (Tracxn), Ramakant Sharma (LivSpace), Sujeet Kumar (Udaan), Manish Agarwal (Kratos) and Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon).
The funding will be used to establish a research and development center in Bengaluru. The company will also initiate test flight campaigns and accelerate the creation of additional prototypes, aiming for market launch by 2028.
“This funding is a significant milestone for Sarla Aviation as we advance our mission to revolutionize transportation in India. Our flying taxis are not just about enabling instant and affordable air mobility—they represent a bold step toward unlocking India’s true economic potential and solving for critical bottlenecks to our productivity like traffic congestion and pollution. With the support of our investors, we are accelerating the development of our technology, expanding our team and establishing a state-of-the-art R&D center. Our first priority is to build a mass mobility system that serves and enables India like cars once transformed and enabled the United States,” said Adrian Schmidt, Co-Founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation.
“We also plan to launch a free-of-cost air ambulance service, addressing the urgent need for rapid medical response and saving countless lives by eliminating traffic-related delays. By prioritizing simplicity and affordability, we aim to create a scalable solution that meets the needs of tomorrow’s Viksit Bharat and fuels the country’s ambition to become a global superpower,” he added.
“Sarla Aviation’s vision of affordable flying taxis addresses critical urban challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and the need for rapid medical response. Adrian, Rakesh, and Shivam are exactly the type of founders who can bring this vision to life; backed by experience from leading global eVTOL companies and a world-class team that can set new standards in engineering and innovation, they have the right mix of bold vision and ability to execute that will help this idea ‘take-off’ practically. Their emphasis on cost economics and reliability could make them a blueprint for other rapidly urbanizing regions worldwide,” said Pratik Agarwal, Principal at Accel.
Founded in 2024 by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, and Shivam Chauhan, Sarla Aviation aims to offer affordable, efficient, and sustainable air mobility solutions.
Sarla is set to unveil its first flying taxi prototype on January 17, 2025, at Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, in New Delhi.
Sarla’s hybrid-lift-and-cruise eVTOL offers the highest payload in the market, capable of carrying up to 680 kg – allowing 35% more passengers per flight at 4X lower ticket prices compared to Western competitors.
