India will have urban air mobility in form of eVTOLs, says aviation minister

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India will have an urban air mobility service in the form of Electric Vehicles Take-Off and Landing (EVTOL) across the country after the trials in the United States and Canada are over.

The Union Minister shared this in an event called India@2047, part of the seventh edition of India Ideas Conclave. “Today, the trial is happening with the US Air Force and the Canadian Air Force with EVTOLs. As soon as they get Federal Aviation Administration (FAA-US) and other certifications, we are going to try and ensure that they come and set up their manufacturing bases here," added Scindia.

The Union Minister shared India is already in conversation with a number of manufacturers from the United States and Canada regarding this proposal. He added in days to come EVTOLs will function across the length and breath of the country. As per a PTI report, Scindia explained the air force will adopt the civil aviation technology first. “And when that becomes proof of concept, then it can permeate into the civil space," added the minister.

He also pointed out the importance of a strong infrastructure for this plan. The plan also incurs high logistic costs. “India prior to 2014 had 74 airports and over the last eight years, we have built an additional 67 airports, seaports and heliports. That number has gone from 74 in 70 years to 141 over the last eight years. It's our commitment to you (people) that by 2025 we will have more than 200 airports, heliports and waterdromes in India," Scindia was quoted in the report.

The minister highlighted the importance of scaling the last-mile connectivity. “The growth will not come only from metros, it will come from the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Therefore, it is our endeavour to have a network of airports in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in place, with sea planes and waterdromes, and heliports, so that the overall last mile connectivity becomes a reality in India," Scindia added further.

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