Japanese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft maker SkyDrive expects to start commercial operations in India from 2029 onwards. According to reports from Business Standard, Founder and CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa announced this timeline on Thursday at the Air Cargo Forum of India (ACFI) World Conclave 2026. The company will spend the next two years securing type certification in the US and Japan before pursuing approvals in India and other markets.
As reported by Business Standard, SkyDrive is already in discussions with Indian regulators for approval, although formal applications for certification in India are expected at a later stage. The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Air India and Suzuki on Thursday to jointly study the use of eVTOL aircraft for medical air logistics in India. The partnership will examine how the aircraft can help move medical supplies and organs between airports and hospitals, where road traffic can cause delays.
According to Business Standard, SkyDrive's aircraft is powered by lithium-ion batteries and has a payload capacity of about 300 kg. The current configuration can carry one pilot and two passengers with a range of about 30-40 kms on a full charge with full payload. The aircraft can be recharged in about 20-30 minutes. The company sees medical and logistics applications as an initial use case in India, before moving towards passenger services including air taxis.
As reported by Business Standard, SkyDrive has received around 490 global pre-orders, including about 50 in India, mainly from charter flight operators. The company expects its eVTOL aircraft to be quieter than helicopters and could be suited to urban operations. SkyDrive plans to manufacture the aircraft in Japan initially, but is exploring the possibility of setting up manufacturing closer to its markets. India could be a potential manufacturing base in the future, given its large market and existing parts supply chain.
