India's first electric flying taxi is here — and it could be carrying patients by 2028

Chennai-based ePlane Company has revealed PT-01 — India's first full-scale electric flying taxi prototype, designed for both passenger and cargo use. Ground tests begin in 2026, with pilotless flight trials expected in mid-2027 and a possible commercial launch by 2028. (Credit: Instagram/eplanecompany)

The PT-01 will first serve as an air ambulance, leveraging existing hospital helipads for rapid deployment before expanding to urban passenger transport. This approach lets ePlane scale without waiting for new ground infrastructure to be built. (Credit: Instagram/eplanecompany)

The US Federal Aviation Administration is already developing frameworks to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft safely into urban transport networks — reflecting a global regulatory push to support emerging air mobility solutions. (Credit: Instagram/eplanecompany)

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has proposed a "flying bus" as a potential next innovation in India's public transport system — a concept aimed at bypassing ground-level traffic constraints and improving mobility in densely populated Indian cities.

Two key hurdles face the PT-01 and India's flying taxi ambitions: battery performance — which impacts operational range and efficiency — and air traffic management, which requires coordinating new flying vehicles safely within India's existing aviation system. (Credit: Instagram/eplanecompany)

ePlane aims for commercial operations of the PT-01 by 2028, following completion of ground tests in 2026 and pilotless flight trials in mid-2027. If successful, PT-01 could become the first commercially operational electric air taxi in India's history. (Credit: Instagram/eplanecompany)