Sarla Aviation funding, investors and company details
Sarla Aviation is an emerging [●] startup from Bengaluru, working in the space of Aerospace startup focused on developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility.. Founded by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, Shivam Chauhan.
- Company: Sarla Aviation Private Limited
- Sector: [●]
- Location: Bengaluru
- Founders: Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, Shivam Chauhan
- Total funding raised: ₹86.56 Cr
Company overview
Sarla Aviation is an aerospace startup founded in 2023, focused on developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility. The company is pioneering next-generation flying taxis designed to be safe, economical, and sustainable. Its flagship hybrid-electric air taxi, Shunya, is engineered with double-isolated battery packs and a SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) tank, powering seven electric propulsion units. This design enables fully electric urban trips of up to 150 km and hybrid-electric journeys of up to 800 km, with speeds reaching 250 km/h. In November 2025, Sarla Aviation signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to establish a ₹1,300 crore integrated eVTOL manufacturing campus in Anantapur district. Spread across 500 acres, this “giga facility” will be India’s first of its kind, capable of manufacturing, testing, certifying, training, and maintaining up to 1,000 aircraft annually. The project, branded as the “Sky Factory,” is positioned as one of the world’s largest eVTOL production clusters. It is expected to create thousands of high-skill jobs and strengthen India’s role in global aerospace manufacturing.
Funding rounds
- Latest round: $ 10.00 Mn (₹86.56 Cr.), 2025-01-16. Investors: Accel, Binny Bansal (Flipkart), Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Sriharsha Majety (Swiggy)
- Past round (Pre-Seed): Undisclosed Amount, 2024-05-14. Investors: Campus Fund