Urban air mobility startup Sarla Aviation has appointed Rajiv Bansal, former Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and ex-Managing Director of Air India, as a strategic advisor. Bansal will guide the company on regulatory strategy, certification roadmaps, and policy alignment as it enters its next phase of growth, the firm said in a statement on August 6.
The appointment comes as Sarla gears up to transition from deep engineering to real-world deployment and flight testing of its six-seater electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The company had unveiled its prototype, Shunya, at the Bharat Mobility Expo in January this year, after raising over $12 million from investors including Accel, Nikhil Kamath, Sriharsha Majety, and Binny Bansal.
"India is at a pivotal point in aviation, with the talent, ambition, and urgency to build sovereign aerospace capabilities," said Bansal.
"Sarla’s bold, full-stack approach represents both national strength and tech leadership. I’m proud to support a team that’s thinking long-term, building fearlessly, and setting a new benchmark for Indian innovation," he added.
Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Bengaluru, Sarla Aviation aims to build India’s first privately held, full-stack aviation OEM, focused on urban air mobility.
The company is named after Sarla Thukral, India’s first woman pilot, and brings together talent from global flying taxi firms such as Lilium, Volocopter, and Joby Aviation.
Adrian Schmidt, Co-founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation, said Bansal’s appointment is a “rare opportunity” for the team to learn from one of India’s most experienced aviation leaders.
“His experience will be instrumental in helping us mature our processes, shape our certification strategy, and strengthen our approach,” Schmidt said.
With Bansal onboard, Sarla plans to deepen engagement with regulators, airports, and city governments as it works towards regulatory approvals in India and abroad.
The company’s long-term ambition is to make air mobility a scalable, affordable mode of daily transport in India’s congested urban centres.
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