AP to roll out India’s first e-air taxi mfg hub

Amaravati: Hectic preparations are on to transform Anantapur in water-starved Rayalaseema into an aviation hub after the success story scripted with the es-tablishment of Sri City near Tirupati and subsequent improvement in water supply and investments in automobile, hardware, electronics and other sectors.

AP has unveiled an aerospace policy offering over 8,000 acres of ready-to-use land for manufacturing units and startups with tailor-made incen-tives. Under the policy, GMR Group is developing a mega MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) hub near Bhogapuram International Airport in Viziana-garam district, around 40 km from Visakhapatnam. The policy focuses on high-tech manufacturing, renewable energy and new-age mobility solutions.

The State Government is gearing up to roll out 6-seater e-VTOL (electric Verti-cal Take-off and Landing) aircraft by establishing India’s first Sky Factory at Thimmasamudram in Kalyandurg mandal in Anantapur. The facility will pro-duce next-generation e-air taxis named Shurya on a 500-acre campus. Officials are now arranging land allotment after signing an MoU with Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation to develop the Sky Factory with an investment of Rs1,300 crore at the CII Partnership Summit held in Visakhapatnam in November 2025.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said e-VTOLs of different sizes, including two-seater air taxis, will redefine urban mobility. At the World Economic Forum annual meeting, AP IT, Electronics and Education Minister Nara Lokesh said e-VTOLs and autonomous aviation will help posi-tion the State as a key player in addressing congestion and logistics challenges through digital infrastructure and regulation.

The project proponent was convinced by the State’s investor outreach cam-paign, citing Anantapur’s proximity to metro cities like Bengaluru and Chen-nai. Bengaluru has emerged as a major aerospace hub with the MIG engine manufacturing plant of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The State has also de-cided to develop Sri Satya district into an aerospace and defence hub.During the CII summit, Accel-funded Sarla Aviation signed an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Airport Development Corporation Ltd to set up India’s first giga-scale e-air taxi manufacturing ecosystem. A senior official of the Indus-tries Department told Bizz Buzz that the air taxi can take off and land vertical-ly without a runway, cruise at speeds of up to 250 kmph, and is designed for short to medium distances. The company plans to launch its first air taxi from Bengaluru by 2028.