Andhra to launch Sky Factory with Sarla Aviation, India’s first electric air taxi manufacturing hub
The upcoming Anantapur facility will be modelled on global advanced air-mobility hubs like California and Munich, anchoring India firmly on the map of next-generation aviation.
By Newsmeter Network
Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh has partnered with Karnataka-based, Accel-funded Sarla Aviation to establish India’s first giga-scale electric air taxi manufacturing ecosystem.
The project, popularly dubbed the ‘Sky Factory’, will rise in Anantapur with a vision investment of Rs 1,300 crore, marking one of the most ambitious eVTOL initiatives in the world.
Advanced air-mobility hubs
The partnership was sealed at the CII Partnership Summit 2025, where Sarla Aviation and the Andhra Pradesh Airport Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) signed a landmark MoU setting the stage for a fully integrated eVTOL cluster.
The upcoming Anantapur facility will be modelled on global advanced air-mobility hubs like California and Munich, anchoring India firmly on the map of next-generation aviation.
Investment of Rs 330 crore in 150 acres
The first phase of the project will see an investment commitment of Rs 330 crore and the development of a 150-acre manufacturing and testing campus in Thimmasamduram, Kalyanadurg Mandal.
Equipped with cutting-edge production lines, R&D centres, composite labs and a dedicated 2 km runway for DGCA-certified flight testing, the site will create a seamless value chain for building, testing, certifying and maintaining eVTOL aircraft.
The project will generate high-value employment, including 40 specialised jobs and 140 indirect jobs by 2027, with plans to expand to an additional 350 acres in Phase 2.
Production of 1,000 next-gen aircraft annually
Once fully operational, the Sky Factory will be one of the world’s largest eVTOL production hubs, with the capacity to manufacture up to 1,000 next-gen aircraft annually, including flagship platforms such as the “Shunya” hybrid VTOL and a range of indigenously produced electrical harness systems, landing-gear assemblies, and advanced composite structures.
Founded in 2023 by veterans of the global eVTOL industry, Sarla Aviation is designing a six-seater electric flying taxi that aims to shrink commute times in India’s busiest metros. The company, backed by leading private equity investor Accel, targets commercial operations by 2029 and envisions making India a global powerhouse in electric aviation.
Speaking about the partnership, Rakesh Gaonkar, Co-founder and CTO of Sarla Aviation, said, “With the world’s biggest sky factory, we want to make India the nerve centre for the next era of flight. This giga facility will shape the aircraft of the future, create thousands of high-skill jobs, and establish India as a global force in sustainable aerial mobility. Our goal is simple: let India design, build, test, fly and operate the world’s most advanced eVTOL systems from one integrated campus.”
The Government of Andhra Pradesh, through APADCL, will serve as a strategic facilitator to fast-track project implementation and ensure ecosystem readiness. This collaboration represents a major stride in the state’s mission to become India’s capital of advanced manufacturing, aerospace innovation, and green mobility technologies.
