Sarla Aviation will establish a large-scale manufacturing hub for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Andhra Pradesh, following the signing of an MoU with the state government at the CII Partnership Summit 2025 in Visakhapatnam. The Bengaluru-headquartered company has committed an initial investment of Rs 1,300 crore to develop a 500-acre integrated campus in Anantapur district.
The project—branded the “Sky Factory”—is positioned as one of the world’s largest eVTOL production clusters and will support the government’s plans to advance local aerospace manufacturing and urban air-mobility infrastructure. The agreement was handed over by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and state infrastructure minister BC Janardhan Reddy.
In its first phase, Sarla Aviation will invest Rs 330 crore to build a 150-acre campus in Thimmasamduram village, Kalyanadurg Mandal. The facility will include automated production lines, composite manufacturing centres, R&D labs and a two-kilometre runway for testing. Expansion across an additional 350 acres is planned in the next phase.
Once fully operational, the Sky Factory will have the capacity to produce up to 1,000 eVTOL aircraft annually. The integrated campus will encompass manufacturing of key systems such as powertrains, landing gear, electrical harnesses and advanced composite structures. Plans also include VTOL testing pads, a pilot-training ecosystem and what the company says will be India’s largest wind-tunnel facility.
Rakesh Gaonkar, co-founder and CTO of Sarla Aviation, said the project is aimed at building India’s capabilities in next-generation aviation. “This giga facility will shape the aircraft of the future and create thousands of high-skill jobs. Our goal is to design, build, test, fly and operate advanced eVTOL systems from one integrated campus,” he said.
The Andhra Pradesh government, through the Airport Development Corporation, will act as a strategic facilitator to expedite clearances and support ecosystem development. The project is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment and increase MSME participation in the aerospace supply chain. |
