In a significant step for India’s emerging urban air mobility sector, The ePlane Company has opened a new prototyping and testing facility at the IIT Madras Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, near Chennai.

The 60,000 sq ft facility will play a central role in the company’s next phase of development as it moves from early-stage aircraft concepts and small-scale prototypes to flight-ready hardware and certification-grade systems.

The facility was inaugurated by V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.

According to the company, the new site will function as its main engineering hub. It brings together design, prototyping, system integration and subsystem testing teams under one roof. This integrated approach is expected to speed up development timelines and improve coordination between different engineering teams.

 

The facility will support the development of passenger, cargo and relief-focused electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Key capabilities at the centre include:

  • Composite fabrication for lightweight aircraft structures
  • Electric powertrain assembly
  • Avionics testing
  • A dedicated Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) facility for subsystem validation and full-scale development

These capabilities will allow the company to test critical systems on the ground before moving to flight testing, an essential step in ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

The company said the new facility will support important development milestones as it progresses towards certification. Certification-grade prototyping means building aircraft components and systems that meet aviation regulatory standards, a necessary requirement before commercial operations can begin.

By expanding its in-house testing and integration capacity, The ePlane Company aims to reduce reliance on external facilities and accelerate the path towards flight-ready aircraft.

Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder and Technical Lead of The ePlane Company, described the facility as central to the company’s commercial future. “With the support of IIT Madras, we have built a space where we can fulfil our vision of making flying as common and affordable as taking a taxi,” he said. He added that the company’s goal is not only to transport people, but to create an additional layer of mobility within cities.

Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft are designed to operate without the need for long runways. They can take off and land vertically like helicopters but are powered by electric systems, making them quieter and potentially more environmentally friendly than conventional aircraft.

India’s urban centres are facing increasing traffic congestion, and new mobility solutions are being explored to improve connectivity. eVTOL aircraft are seen globally as a potential solution for short-distance urban travel, cargo transport and emergency response.

With the opening of this large-scale prototyping and testing facility, The ePlane Company is positioning itself as one of the early Indian players working towards building indigenous electric air mobility solutions.

The new centre at IIT Madras Discovery Campus marks an important step in turning design concepts into real, flight-ready aircraft.