Sarla Aviation has received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), less than three years after the company was founded. Presented by Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ram Mohan Naidu at the opening of Sarla Aviation’s new headquarters in Bengaluru, the approval is the fastest-ever DOA granted in Indian aviation history.

The DOA is the DGCA’s recognition, under CAR 21 Subpart J, that an organisation has the design capacity, procedures and independent checking systems required for aircraft, systems and components to meet certified standards. With the approval in place, the Indian eVTOL developer is qualified to take its designs forward for type certification with the DGCA.

Naidu said at the ceremony: “It is a very proud moment that we have a full-scale Indian eVTOL here, one that Indian engineers designed, Indian hands built and which the Indian skies will proudly carry. Sarla Aviation is receiving the Design Organisation Approval today, which is a proud reflection of our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

The minister described eVTOL aircraft as a priority for the Indian government and set out his expectation that air taxis become a mode of mass public transportation. India published its eVTOL framework within 13 months, supported by 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the sector and six dedicated working groups covering vertiports, eVTOL certification standards, crew licensing, air operator permits, unified traffic management and MRO.

The new headquarters brings Sarla Aviation’s design, engineering, testing and commercial teams under one roof in Bengaluru, alongside its full-scale prototype of Shunya. The company’s demonstrator programme has completed more than 500 flight tests and 18 hours of flight testing.

Sarla Aviation co-founder and CTO Rakesh Gaonkar says: “Every 18 months, we deliver a new prototype. The next one arrives in January 2027 and will carry out our transition flight. Viksit Bharat 2047 will be built on air taxis, and we are the team to make it happen.”

Bengaluru International airport, Sarla Aviation and mobility partners are also working on a passenger journey linking the airport with passengers’ final destinations, according to BIAL chief operating officer Girish Nayak.

Six partnerships were signed at the headquarters inauguration. Manipal Hospitals and Aeromed Air Ambulance will work with Sarla Aviation on protocols and infrastructure for emergency medical transport in India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities, while Prestige Group is exploring vertiport-ready infrastructure within its development properties. Jio-bp is partnering on vertiport energy infrastructure.

Jeppesen ForeFlight will provide navigation, aerospace modelling and flight-deck software, while Hexcel Composites is collaborating on composite materials for the aircraft. Tata Elxsi is working with Sarla Aviation on flight controls and autonomy.