In an interview with Vishnu Ramakrishnan, SVP Business Partnerships & AAM Strategy at The ePlane Company, TimesTech explores why the company is prioritizing air ambulances over passenger air taxis as the first step in India’s advanced air mobility journey. Vishnu discusses certification pathways, infrastructure readiness, compact eVTOL design, and how a Made-in-India approach could shape the future of urban air transportation across emerging markets.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: Most global eVTOL players are prioritizing passenger air taxis first, while ePlane chose an ambulance-first strategy. Why did you believe this was the smarter commercial rollout for India, and where do you think the Western model got it wrong?
Vishnu: Rather than saying the Western model got it wrong, I’d say they are solving for a different market reality. In many global markets, the focus is on upgrading the commuter experience. But when we looked closely at cities like Bangalore or Chennai, we saw that the most urgent, inelastic need wasn’t just saving a commuter 20 minutes; it was ensuring a patient survives a medical emergency.
By leading with an air ambulance model, we address a critical public need from day one. It establishes the e200X as an essential public utility rather than a premium convenience. It allows us to introduce this entirely new technology to the public in a way that builds immediate trust and profound social impact, which we believe is the smartest foundation for a commercial rollout.
TimesTech: How can operating air ambulances first help generate DGCA certification data that later supports passenger flight approvals?
Vishnu: Aviation certification is built on predictable, empirical data. Air ambulances typically operate on highly defined, point-to-point routes, such as hospital-to-hospital transfers. This gives us a highly controlled and predictable operational environment.
By running these critical routes, we can accumulate thousands of real-world flight hours safely and systematically. The DGCA needs to see how the aircraft behaves across various urban weather conditions and mechanical cycles. The air ambulance phase allows us to build a robust, data-driven safety case in partnership with regulators. By the time we scale up to commercial passenger flights, we will already have a proven, real-world track record.
TimesTech: Vertiport infrastructure remains a major challenge globally. How does using hospitals as early landing hubs help solve this problem in India?
Vishnu: Developing new infrastructure is one of the biggest hurdles for urban air mobility worldwide. Building dedicated vertiports from scratch requires significant time, capital, and complex zoning approvals.
Our strategy is to integrate seamlessly with the infrastructure that already exists. Many major hospitals are already deeply integrated into the urban grid and possess helipads or structurally sound rooftops designed for emergency access. By utilizing these existing hubs, we significantly reduce our early CapEx and bypass long construction timelines. It allows us to operationalize our network efficiently and safely almost immediately upon certification.
TimesTech: The e200X is being positioned as the world’s most compact passenger eVTOL. Why is compact design critical for Indian cities, and how does it differentiate ePlane from larger Western aircraft?
Vishnu: Indian megacities have incredibly dense and complex spatial layouts. An aircraft with a large wingspan simply cannot land safely in the heart of Mumbai or Delhi; it would be restricted to the outskirts, which defeats the purpose of intra-city transit.
We designed the e200X specifically for these constraints. Through our Synergistic Lift architecture, we achieved a highly compact footprint that can utilize standard rooftops and tight urban spaces, without sacrificing the battery efficiency or range needed for city-wide operations. Our differentiator is that we built a vehicle designed to fit the existing city, rather than expecting the city to rebuild itself around the vehicle.
TimesTech: How do you see India’s certification pathway shaping the future of advanced air mobility in emerging markets, and what does “Made in India” aerospace represent today?
Vishnu: India presents a very unique and dynamic airspace. We are working closely with the DGCA to build pragmatic, safety-first frameworks. Because our urban density is so high, a regulatory framework that works safely here can easily serve as a strong blueprint for other emerging markets across Southeast Asia and Latin America.
As for ‘Made in India,’ it represents a shift toward foundational, deep-tech innovation. At ePlane, it means we are designing the airframe, writing the flight control algorithms, and manufacturing the components locally. It’s about demonstrating full-stack, category-defining aerospace capability on a global stage.
TimesTech: From a policy and industry perspective, how do you see India’s advanced air mobility ecosystem evolving over the next five years?
Vishnu: Over the next five years, the industry will transition from testing to real-world integration. We will likely see the establishment of designated digital air corridors and advanced Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) networks.
We are also seeing a strong convergence of industries. We are already partnering with technology leaders for compute and sensors, and we will soon see deeper integration with telecom operators for connectivity and real estate developers for landing infrastructure.
Ultimately, urban air mobility will transition from a novel concept into a standardized, safe, and highly reliable layer of India’s public transit system.
