Indian eVTOL Maker The ePlane Company Secures $1B Air Ambulance Deal with ICATT

The ePlane Company, an Indian electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer, has signed a landmark agreement with the International Critical-Care Air Transfer Team (ICATT) to supply 788 air ambulances in a deal valued at over $1 billion.

The partnership aims to establish India's largest air ambulance network, integrating advanced air mobility solutions into rural and urban healthcare infrastructure. ICATT will provide technical and operational expertise to ensure ePlane's aircraft meet e-air-ambulance standards.

ePlane's flagship aircraft, the e200x, features an ultra-compact design with an 8-meter wingspan, enabling takeoffs and landings in confined spaces such as rooftops and roadside fields. The company claims the aircraft can transport patients seven times faster than ground vehicles.

"This is going to be a very good solution in terms of organ airlifts. 95% of the registered patient recipients die before they get an organ. This is purely because of the lack of logistics, not due to lack of donors," said Dr. Shalini Nalwad, Founder of ICATT.

The initiative focuses on reducing response times for critical patient transport, organ delivery, and medical equipment distribution, particularly in rural and accident-prone areas. ICATT, founded in 2017 by Dr. Rahul Singh Sardar and Dr. Nalwad, currently operates in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and Male, Maldives, with plans to expand to Dubai. The organization has completed 2,348 critical patient airlifts to date.

Founder of The ePlane Company - Prof. Satya Chakravarthy said, "By deploying air ambulances at scale, we aim to enhance emergency response capabilities, ensure faster critical care access, and bridge the gap between accident sites and advanced medical facilities, ultimately reducing fatalities and improving healthcare accessibility."

The Chennai-based ePlane recently achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first private Indian company to receive Design Organisation Approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for an electric aircraft. The company secured $14 million in Series B funding in November, led by Speciale Invest and Antares Ventures, with flight testing of its human-crewed aircraft scheduled for mid-2025.