India unveils its first air taxi prototype: Here's how eVTOLs work

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 20, 2026 | Technology

The ePlane Company, an IIT Madras-incubated startup, launched India’s first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft prototype earlier this month. The company plans to launch commercial services by 2028, beginning with air ambulances before expanding into passenger transport.

The announcement comes as companies across the US, Europe and China race to commercialise eVTOL aircraft, which are designed to reduce travel time within cities by flying above road traffic.

But what exactly is an eVTOL, how does it differ from a helicopter, and what remains before commercial air taxi services can launch? Here’s all you need to know.

What is an eVTOL?

An eVTOL, short for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, is a battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter before transitioning to forward flight like a conventional aeroplane.

An eVTOLs does not require long runways. Most designs use multiple electrically powered propellers instead of a single large rotor, allowing them to lift off from relatively small spaces.

According to a 2024 review published in Heliyon, eVTOL aircraft combine electric propulsion, advanced materials and autonomous technologies to support what the aviation industry calls Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

It said the technology aims to bring together the hovering capability of helicopters and the cruising efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft.

How is an eVTOL different from a helicopter?

Both helicopters and eVTOLs can take off and land vertically, but they are built differently.

Helicopters typically rely on one or two large rotors powered by aviation fuel. eVTOL aircraft instead use multiple electric motors and propellers powered by batteries.

Many eVTOL developers also use distributed electric propulsion, where several propellers share the work of generating lift and thrust. According to the Heliyon review, such designs improve redundancy because if one propeller fails, the remaining motors can continue generating lift, which enables the aircraft to descend safely.

Manufacturers also expect electric propulsion to reduce operating noise and maintenance costs compared with conventional helicopters, although commercial operations are yet to begin at scale.

How does the ePlane prototype work?

The ePlane prototype is designed as an electric aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically before switching to forward flight.

The company has said its first commercial application will be emergency medical services. Air ambulance operations are expected to be followed by airport transfers and urban passenger transport.

The aircraft is intended for short-distance trips, where bypassing road traffic could reduce travel time.

Why are companies focusing on air ambulances first?

Most eVTOL companies are not starting with passenger taxi services. Instead, the first commercial deployments are expected to focus on applications where speed offers the biggest advantage and operations are easier to manage.

Air ambulances are among the most promising early use cases because hospitals can operate from fixed locations, emergency transport commands higher fares, and faster patient transfers can directly improve outcomes.

In February 2025, the International Critical Air Transfer Team (ICATT) signed an agreement with The ePlane Company to procure 788 eVTOL air ambulances.

Airport connectivity is another likely early application, as routes are fixed and operators need fewer take-off and landing sites than a citywide passenger network.

Why can’t passengers book an air taxi yet?

Despite rapid progress, several hurdles remain before commercial passenger flights become routine.

1) Aircraft certification:

Every aircraft must receive airworthiness certification before entering commercial service.

According to a working paper presented to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), regulators across countries are still developing certification frameworks for eVTOL aircraft. Differences between regulatory standards could increase costs and slow international deployment.

2) Infrastructure:

eVTOL networks will require dedicated vertiports where aircraft can take off, land, recharge and undergo maintenance.

Cities will also need systems to safely integrate these aircraft into existing air traffic.

3) Battery limitations:

Batteries account for a major share of an eVTOL’s weight, limiting both payload and flying range. Carrying more passengers generally requires larger batteries, which in turn add weight and reduce efficiency.

Researchers writing in Fundamental Research said advances in battery energy density and cleaner electricity will play an important role in reducing emissions and improving the commercial viability of eVTOL aircraft.

3) Regulations:

Commercial operations will also require operating rules covering pilot licensing, air traffic management, maintenance standards and flight operations.

The ICAO paper said international harmonisation of certification and pilot licensing will be important for scaling commercial eVTOL services.

Where does India stand?

India has entered the eVTOL race later than several global players but is beginning to build its own ecosystem.

The ePlane Company and Sarla Aviation are among the startups developing electric air mobility platforms, while the government has identified advanced aviation technologies as an area of interest.

Globally, several companies remain further ahead in certification and flight testing.

The Heliyon review identified US-based Joby Aviation as one of the leaders in piloted operations after obtaining FAA Part 135 operational certification, with aircraft type certification still pending.

Archer Aviation is also working towards commercial operations, while China’s EHang became the first company to receive a type certificate for a passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft. European companies such as Volocopter, Lilium and Airbus have also advanced prototype development and certification efforts.

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Show DND choice to users, not frequently blocked label: Trai to Truecaller

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 19, 2026 | Technology

Trai has objections to Truecaller displaying a ‘frequently blocked’ badge within the dedicated number series, with a senior regulatory official saying that such tagging is “not advisable” as it tends to misguide and confuse telecom consumers, creating unwarranted suspicion about calls from 1600 and 140 categories that otherwise fall under the regulated framework.

Instead, the regulator believes that Truecaller should display a label informing users that they can “exercise their choice” to block unwanted communication from the 140 series through Trai’s official Do Not Disturb (DND) preference management app.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) official, the solution lies in creating further awareness and outreach around the DND, to educate people about the choices they have.

Trai has mandated the use of 1600 series numbers for service and transaction calls by regulated banking, financial services and insurance or BFSI entities, and government-to-citizen communications, while the 140 series numbers are for promotional calls by registered entities across sectors.

The senior Trai official also cautioned call management apps and users that under no circumstances should the 1600 number be tagged as such, given that this series is used for service and transaction calls by regulated entities of the BFSI sector (entities regulated by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA) to their existing customers and by government entities for government-to-citizen communication.

What this implies is that calls from the 1600 series could range from fraud alerts to transaction verification, and tagging or labelling them in any form may have adverse consequences for consumers, said the Trai official who did not wish to be named.

The latest comments from the regulator come amid a standoff between Trai and Truecaller over the display of tags on dedicated 140 and 1600 number series.

Truecaller has alleged that spam calls have surged after Trai mandated the use of dedicated 140 and 1600 number series while preventing caller ID apps from displaying community-reported spam information for those numbers. It had claimed that users have increasingly ignored and blocked calls from these series, eroding trust in legitimate business communications.

Truecaller says it does not mark 140 and 1600 series numbers as spam anymore, but only shows a ‘Frequently Blocked’ tag based on user blocking patterns.

According to the call management app, this ‘frequently blocked’ tag is backed by community-driven reports and algorithms, complies with regulations, and serves its core objective of protecting consumers.

The Trai official, however, maintained that showing tags such as “spam” or “frequently blocked” within the designated number series – even where it is claimed to be community-reported – creates unwarranted suspicion for others around legitimate commercial communications and may influence consumers who have consciously chosen to receive such calls.

The Trai official argued that flagging individual numbers does not solve the underlying problem because telemarketers typically use multiple numbers, and it is the DND framework that effectively addresses the entire category of promotional communications through consumer preferences.

The official asserted that the real problem of spam lies outside the regulated numbering system.

According to Trai, more than 80 per cent of unsolicited marketing calls originate from ordinary mobile and landline numbers rather than the designated 140 series. Telecom service providers are already identifying and flagging about 26-27 crore such non-140 calls every day using artificial intelligence-based systems mandated by the regulator, the official said.

Call management apps are free to identify and flag such unregulated calls, the Trai official added.

The regulator also dismissed suggestions that unscrupulous entities may be exploiting the protected series, saying the framework is tightly controlled.

The official said every principal entity and telemarketer using the 140 series must register with telecom service providers and clearly declare the purpose of the communication before being permitted to use the dedicated numbering series. Accountability is clearly defined, and the choice of the consumer is protected by the DND system.

Given this regulatory framework, the official said there was “nothing to investigate”, adding that the relative number of users, claimed to be flagging 140-series calls, may be due to a lack of awareness about the DND mechanism in those specific cases.

The official rejected Truecaller’s contention that Trai’s framework has weakened consumer protection, arguing that consumers already have complete control over promotional calls through the regulator’s Do Not Disturb (DND) preference management system.

According to Trai, consumers can choose not only whether to receive promotional calls but also specify sectors from which they wish to receive them, such as banking, healthcare or real estate, besides selecting preferred days and time slots.

Trai had recently asserted that no app can block phone calls originating from 1600 number series that are meant for communications by regulated entities and the government to citizens. Further, it said any tagging or filtering of calls from 140 series numbers is not allowed except for blocking on the DND registry, as any tagging can mislead a customer who has otherwise allowed receipt of such calls from a sector on the DND registry.

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Skyroot's Vikram-1 success puts India's private space sector in orbit

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 19, 2026 | Technology

The historic feat by Skyroot Aerospace on Saturday, becoming the first private company to fly an Indian-built rocket to orbit on its maiden attempt, may well be the moment that unlocks upstream space services in the country, experts say.

According to the Indian Space Association (ISpA), of the roughly $9 billion Indian space economy, the downstream segment accounts for around 80 per cent, or $7.8 billion. Skyroot’s success, also dubbed India’s SpaceX moment, is key to the future growth of the upstream segment, valued at $1.2 billion, as rocket technology underpins the entire space ecosystem, said Lieutenant General Anil K Bhatt (retired), director general of ISpA. “Launch vehicles are the key that opens all these opportunities. Indigenous private space capability in this domain opens doors for all sectors,” he said.

The upstream segment refers to all activities, products, and infrastructure involved in the development, testing, launch, operation, and monitoring, including space situational awareness, of space assets. The downstream segment, on the other hand, refers to applications, services, and devices that rely on satellites to create business value. Major private startups in India’s upstream sector include Skyroot, AgniKul Cosmos, and Pixxel, which focus on rocket development, satellite launches, and space technology (spacetech).

On Saturday, Mission Aagaman, meaning “arrival”, lifted off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Vikram-1 flew a nominal profile to reach its target low Earth orbit of about 450 kilometres at a 60-degree inclination, where it successfully deployed its payloads. With the mission, Skyroot joined the exclusive group of companies capable of reaching orbit.

“Beyond the engineering marvel of an all-carbon composite rocket, this launch is a masterclass in public-private co-existence. With Skyroot’s validation as India’s first spacetech unicorn, this success is a resounding signal to global sovereign and institutional funds. The Indian private space sector is no longer a high-risk bet; it is a highly bankable, globally competitive asset class capable of easing the global small satellite launch bottleneck,” Bhatt said.

Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built around an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house-developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel motors. It is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kilograms (kg) into low Earth orbit. Its ultra-low-shock, ground-testable separation systems are engineered to protect the delicate satellites it carries.

On this flight, Vikram-1 carried technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, and Dcubed, alongside Skyroot’s own Scope satellite, as well as Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork, Cosmic Bloom, and a microart piece — a small, human reminder of what access to space can carry.

“Lower-cost and more responsive launch services will enable more Indian satellite operators to deploy and replenish constellations, improving the availability, revisit frequency, and timeliness of Earth observation data. Equally important, they lower the barrier for emerging downstream and application-focused space startups to own and operate dedicated satellite assets tailored to specific industry needs,” said Krishanu Acharya, cofounder and chief executive officer of Suhora Technologies.

“This milestone beautifully demonstrates how India’s space economy is thriving through a truly collaborative ecosystem, where the government, startups, academia, investors, and global industry players are helping build the NewSpace future together,” said Gautam Sharma, managing director of Viasat India.

The success of Vikram-1 lays the foundation for Skyroot’s commercial launch programme and reinforces India’s emergence as a major force in the global space economy. The company’s road map includes Vikram-2, capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit, with its maiden flight targeted for 2027, as well as a fully reusable launch vehicle, with both the booster and upper stage engineered for recovery and reuse, to further reduce the cost of reaching orbit.

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Chinese tech firms join global race to reinvent smartphones for AI era

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 18, 2026 | Technology

ZTE Corp. showcased for the first time a lineup of co-designed smartphones with built-in AI services, joining a growing number of Chinese companies trying to reimagine mobile devices with artificial intelligence at the core.

The state-backed wireless firm demo-ed the NaviX Ultra, which it called the world’s first agentic AI smartphone, at China’s premier tech summit this week in Shanghai. It comes in four colors — black, pink, white and blue — and pulls up ByteDance Ltd.’s popular AI agent Doubao with a voice command or the press of a button.

The demo followed the unveiling this week of a similar device from StepFun, which sports a proprietary operating system and built-in agent Amoo. Honor, the smartphone maker spun off from Huawei Technologies Co., is also showcasing an AI agent, drawing on models co-developed with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. It will run on a new generation of devices later this year.

The spate of launches underscore a global effort to re-imagine a two-decade-old platform walloped by soaring memory costs, inflation and the advent of AI. Last year, OpenAI paid $6.5 billion to buy a design consultancy run by legendary Apple hardware chief Jony Ive, launching a project to conceive an AI device.

The movement emerged with the global smartphone market bracing for its steepest-ever decline this year. The squeeze hit Chinese smartphone manufacturers particularly hard, because many sell budget devices with lower margins and less pricing power.

The idea now is to design an agentic layer in the operating system that allows AI to execute user’s prompts autonomously across different apps, according to Arthur Guo, research manager at IDC China. The agent draws on AI models from both the device and cloud: The on-device model tackles frequent tasks that require minimal lag time, while cloud-based models do the heavy-lifting on complicated tasks, Guo said.

It represents Chinese manufacturers’ latest bid to find growth in a sluggish market where features such as better camera and foldable screens provide a modest sales boost at best.

ZTE and ByteDance are hoping to break a yearslong cycle of incremental improvements on screens, cameras and power. Along with its rivals, they aim to tap Chinese’s enthusiasm for AI.

New agentic phones are likely to deepen a battle for consumers between Chinese companies and Apple Inc., which has staged a strong comeback in China since late last year and just received Beijing’s blessing to roll out Apple Intelligence in the country, through partnerships with Alibaba and Baidu Inc.

ZTE unveiled a prototype of its device in December that cost 3,499 yuan ($516), as part of its broader Nubia smartphone brand. The initial 30,000 run quickly sold out before doubling in price on the used market, according to local media outlet Jiemian.

“Apple has indeed brought many innovations on the AI front. But in terms of AI smart devices, we are ahead of Apple,” Nubia chief Ni Fei said in a video posted on his Weibo account in June.

On Friday, Ni took to the showfloor at the World AI Conference in Shanghai to demonstrate his product to constant throngs of visitors. Wearing a black T-shirt with the slogan “Nubia, just Doubao it” on its back, he sped through actions from real-time editing of photos to map creation and trip planning. But he remained tight-lipped on the new device’s specifications, which the company will disclose later this year.

To go mainstream, developers need first to undergo a mindset shift, Ni said. They need to move from adding functions to creating an agent that focuses on getting things done, he said in another Weibo post this week. Many so-called AI phones on the market simply stack AI functions on top of an existing system. That actually makes it more cumbersome for users, he added.

“AI phone could be the sole growth trajectory” for China this year, IDC’s Guo said. More than half of the market could de dominated by such devices in 2026, he added. “AI functionality may not be the primary consideration driving purchase, but consumers have grown reliant on the convenience brought by AI.”

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US considers creating Finra-like watchdog to vet advanced AI models

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 18, 2026 | Technology

By Maggie Eastland and Nancy Cook

The Trump administration is considering plans for an independent regulator to vet the safety of artificial intelligence models with industry input, after Silicon Valley leaders complained about the ad-hoc nature of recent US moves to slow the release of cutting-edge AI systems.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent helped develop the proposal, which would create an independent regulatory agency for AI that would report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, similar to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to people familiar with the matter. The plan is now being reviewed by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.

Such an approach would offer more certainty for leading AI labs like Anthropic PBC, which last month was hit with US export controls that led it to temporarily disable its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, and OpenAI, which made significant changes at the government’s request before releasing its latest Sol model. Both companies objected to the government’s moves, calling them excessive relative to the safety issues identified by US officials.

The proposal aims to appease both Wall Street firms seeking to minimize AI’s cybersecurity risks and Silicon Valley companies frustrated by what they see as an inconsistent administration approach in overseeing the nascent technology, said the people. The framework, which remains under deliberation and is subject to change, would allow both industries to play a larger role in jointly setting safety standards, they said.

President Donald Trump has not yet reviewed the plan, one of the people said, however officials have accelerated work to give the AI industry more clarity following the release of a new Chinese model that’s fueled a selloff in AI-related stocks. Wiles usually only becomes involved in policy debates, like discussions over tariffs or AI policy, when they show signs of political risk for the president and require lots of coordination across different officials and agencies.

A White House official said the administration is considering multiple proposals to cement the US lead in AI and strengthen cybersecurity. The Treasury Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deliberations about AI oversight are unfolding amid intensifying competition with China for global leadership in the technology. On Friday, Chinese AI startup Moonshot unveiled its new Kimi K3 model, which rivals more expensive systems from OpenAI and Anthropic, sparking new questions among investors about whether industry in the US will sustain its spending spree on AI chips and data centers.

David Sacks, the venture capitalist and former White House AI czar who continues to advise Trump on technology, suggested the new Chinese model was “concerning” and the result of America “tying itself in knots,” including by pushing for government approval of AI models.

Since the release of Anthropic’s Mythos model, which features cyber capabilities that alarmed officials and business leaders, the Trump administration has grappled with how firm a hand it should take in addressing AI safety risks. Last month, the US took a more stringent approach in blocking foreign nationals from accessing Anthropic’s best AI models. The latest proposal, however, is more consistent with an earlier Trump order that outlines a lighter-touch, voluntary review system created in collaboration with AI companies.

Broadly, the US plan aligns with policy suggestions published earlier this week by Google DeepMind chief executive officer Demis Hassabis, who will be meeting with policymakers in Washington next week to lobby for his plan. His recommendations won praise from Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, as well as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who are typically bitter rivals.

The plan devised by Hassabis suggests a board of independent technical experts review AI models as part of a standards body overseen by the federal government. To pay for the talent and compute, he recommends that industry fund the self-regulatory organization, which would collaborate with government agencies and US national labs to develop model test protocols for areas like cybersecurity and biological threats.

In a post on X outlining his plan, Hassabis likened the watchdog to Finra, an independent, industry-funded regulator for brokerage firms that’s not technically part of the US government. It derives its authority from the Securities and Exchange Commission, which essentially farms out oversight to Finra.

It remains unclear what kinds of model assessments the administration’s proposal would call for, as well as how a new agency would be funded and what role the SEC would play in overseeing AI companies. Both OpenAI and Anthropic are privately held, though both companies are weighing initial public offerings within the next year.

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AI will not diminish role of IT services: Tech Mahindra's Anand Mahindra

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 17, 2026 | Technology

Anand Mahindra, chairman, Tech Mahindra, believes that AI will not kill IT services. It will only make them more important.

“At the very outset, let me tackle the elephant in the room — which is the prediction that the rise of artificial intelligence will kill IT services in India. Every major technology cycle creates such anxieties. My answer, however, is clear: The role of IT services will not diminish. It will change, of course. And in many ways, it will become more important,” he said while addressing shareholders at the 39th annual general meeting (AGM) of Tech Mahindra.

He further said that over four decades, Tech Mahindra has repeatedly adapted to new technology cycles, client expectations and global realities. “The chapter ahead may, in fact, be the most consequential yet. AI will challenge old models, but it will also create one of the largest opportunities our industry has ever seen, which is to help enterprises and nations convert intelligence into trusted impact.”

He compared AI to smartphones. “Smartphones are indispensable only because of apps and the connectivity that brings them to life. In the AI era, companies like Tech Mahindra provide just that enabling layer — turning a very powerful technology into an intelligent business partner that delivers real value,” he said.

Mahindra also highlighted that deploying AI into enterprise ecosystems is a complex process. “What will truly differentiate an enterprise is its own ‘alpha’, as it’s known — which is its data, workflows, judgment and domain knowledge. And our role at Tech Mahindra is to help preserve that alpha through the platforms, the solutions and workflows that sit above and around the model,” he added.

He pointed to the recent performance of the company, which has been transforming under CEO and MD Mohit Joshi. He said the company has delivered margin expansion despite a volatile environment. “The deal wins exceeded $1 billion in successive quarters…,” he said.

He added that clients will need partners who understand that AI transformation is not a technology project alone. It is a business, talent and operating model transformation.

“Our view is that the enterprise of tomorrow will not be all-human or all-AI. It will be built on human judgment amplified by AI capability. To bring this vision to life, your company has embarked on Project Helix. Through this programme, Vector Squads will interweave human expertise with AI agents, like two strands of DNA, combining domain knowledge, engineering depth, governance and responsible AI practices around each client’s context,” he added.

Mahindra also said India cannot be only a consumer of intelligence built elsewhere. It must also be a creator, shaper and trusted deployer of intelligence.

“India has a unique advantage in this respect — it is something that I have long called denial-driven innovation. The best ‘can-do’ spirit often emerges when we are told we cannot do something or we are denied a technology,” he said.

He shared the story of the PARAM supercomputer. Denied access to Cray systems in the 1980s, C-DAC built an indigenous machine in just three years, at a fraction of the cost. “Within the decade, India was exporting supercomputers to other countries. That very same instinct must now be brought to sovereign AI: not isolation, not dependence, but indigenous capability, trusted collaboration, and the ability to build, adapt and govern critical AI systems on our own terms,” he said.

In this context, Tech Mahindra’s selection under the India AI Mission is a responsibility that it takes very seriously, he stated.

Tech Mahindra is ready for that opportunity.

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