India’s ePlane strengthens supply chain with global aerospace partners as e200X moves towards certification

India’s ePlane Company has strengthened the industrial ecosystem behind its e200X electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by announcing a series of strategic partnerships covering critical systems ranging from avionics and electrical wiring to advanced composites and aircraft interiors.

The agreements, unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow, bring together Indian and international aerospace suppliers as the company advances what it says is India’s first certifiable eVTOL aircraft towards certification and commercial service.

The partnerships span electrical systems, avionics, composite materials, cabin interiors, and precision aerospace components, reinforcing the company’s strategy of building a domestic manufacturing ecosystem supported by established global suppliers.

The announcement follows the recent public unveiling of the company’s first full-scale prototype, PT-01, and represents another step in moving the e200X programme from development towards industrialisation.

“At just 8m × 11m, the e200X is the world’s most compact passenger eVTOL, engineered to carry a pilot + 200kg of payload directly out of current helipads. Backed by over 10,000 km of cumulative flight testing and holding a formal Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the DGCA, ePlane represents the elite tier of execution rigour in the Advanced Air Mobility sector,” a company official informed.

According to the company, the e200X has received commitments for more than 800 aircraft, with a significant share of the demand coming from emergency medical transport, where it is expected to reduce patient transfer times compared with road transport.

The PT-01 prototype will now undergo ground testing before progressing to full-scale flight trials. The company is targeting certified test flights in mid-2027 as part of the aircraft’s type certification programme.

Partnerships cover key aircraft systems needed for certification and production

Among the agreements announced at Farnborough is a memorandum of understanding with SASMOS HET Technologies to collaborate on the Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) for the e200X.

The companies will work on wiring architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and certification readiness, while also exploring cooperation on mission-critical electronic systems, including high-voltage power distribution units, motor controllers, and electronic speed controllers. These systems form a critical part of electric aircraft architecture, where power management and reliability are central to certification.

The ePlane Company has also selected Ankit Aerospace as its strategic supplier for aerospace-grade fasteners used throughout the aircraft. The company already supplies precision-engineered components to organisations including ISRO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), bringing established aerospace manufacturing experience to the programme.

Another element of the supply chain is the company’s continuing partnership with Germany’s HENSOLDT Avionics, first announced earlier this year.

HENSOLDT is supplying the avionics suite and flight radar for the e200X, supporting aircraft navigation, situational awareness, and flight management as the programme progresses towards certification.

Advanced materials and modular interiors broaden the aircraft’s operational role

The company has also expanded its industrial network through a partnership with Azista Composites, which will supply carbon fibre and glass fibre prepreg materials for the aircraft’s airframe and radome.

According to the company, Azista will also work on material specifications tailored to the e200X programme, supporting the development of lightweight composite structures required for electric aircraft.

In addition, US-based AMS Heli Design will collaborate with the ePlane Company on modular interiors and seating solutions.

The concept allows a single aircraft platform to be configured for multiple roles, including air ambulance, passenger air taxi, cargo transport, and VIP missions, enabling operators to adapt the aircraft for different commercial and public service requirements.

Building a domestic ecosystem for India’s emerging advanced air mobility sector

Unlike conventional aircraft programmes that rely heavily on imported subsystems, the ePlane Company is seeking to build much of its industrial base through partnerships that combine Indian manufacturing capability with international aerospace expertise.

Founded in 2019 and incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the company is developing the e200X under a Make in India strategy, with manufacturing and testing centred at its integrated facility near Chennai.

The company became the first private aerospace organisation in India to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for electric aircraft, while the e200X is also the first eVTOL accepted into the regulator’s type certification process.

Professor Satya Chakravarthy, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of the ePlane Company, said the latest agreements strengthened the programme as it moves closer to certification.

“These partnerships reflect the strength and depth of the ecosystem we’re building around the e200X. From wiring and fasteners to avionics, composites, and interiors, each of these relationships strengthens our path toward a certifiable, Made-in-India electric aircraft.”

The e200X is being designed around the company’s proprietary “Synergistic Lift” architecture, which is intended to enable operations from existing helipads and compact urban sites without requiring purpose-built vertiports. The aircraft is aimed at three principal markets: urban passenger transport, air ambulance services, and middle-mile cargo operations.

As countries invest in advanced air mobility, the emphasis is increasingly shifting from aircraft development alone to building the industrial capability needed to manufacture, certify, and support those aircraft at scale.

For the ePlane Company, the partnerships announced at Farnborough represent another step towards establishing that supply chain while positioning the e200X for future commercial deployment.