Sarla Aviation, an emerging flying taxi startup, has successfully raised $10 million (approximately INR 86.5 crore) in a Series A1 funding round, marking a significant step forward in its mission to revolutionize urban air mobility.
The round was led by Accel, with participation from several high-profile angel investors, including Flipkart cofounder Binny Bansal, Zerodha cofounder Nikhil Kamath, Swiggy cofounder Sriharsha Majety, and Urban Company’s CEO Abhiraj Singh Bhal.
Other investors such as Tracxn cofounder Abhishek Goyal, Udaan cofounder Sujeet Kumar, and Polygon founder Sandeep Nailwal also joined the company’s cap table.
Sarla Aviation, founded in October 2023 by Rakesh Gaonkar, Shivam Chauhan, and Adrian Schmidt, is working to make flying taxis a reality, positioning them as a cleaner, quieter, and more affordable alternative to traditional helicopter taxis.
The company has ambitious plans for the coming years, aiming for its first commercial flight by 2028.
The freshly raised funds will be utilized to accelerate Sarla Aviation’s operations, establish a state-of-the-art research and development center, expand its workforce, and bring its flying taxi prototype to life.
The prototype is slated for unveiling on January 17, 2025, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in Delhi NCR.
Sarla’s founders have also emphasized their commitment to addressing critical needs, with plans to launch a free air ambulance service.
The service would aim to eliminate traffic-related delays, offering rapid medical responses to save lives and cater to India’s growing healthcare needs.
Adrian Schmidt, CEO of Sarla Aviation, highlighted the company’s vision for a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India), in which flying taxis are an integral part of modern transportation and sustainable urban mobility.
Sarla Aviation’s focus on sustainability aligns with the broader industry trend, as investors and commercial airlines continue to back startups working on sustainable air mobility solutions.
Notably, the ePlane Company raised $14 million in its Series B funding round in November 2024 to further its commercialization plans and develop manned aircraft, while IndiGo recently announced plans to invest in startups through its newly established venture arm, IndiGo Ventures.
