American electric aircraft developer Archer Aviation announced Thursday the successful signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s leading travel and hospitality conglomerate InterGlobe Enterprises for the launch of eVTOL air in the country.
Partnership details
According to the press release, Archer Aviation and InterGlobe Enterprises aim to run an electric air taxi service in the Indian market. However, the project proposal remains subject to regulatory approvals.
The two companies apparently seek to collaborate with some India-based partners in operating the Archer Midnight eVTOL in the world’s most populous country.
“Over the last two decades, InterGlobe has been involved in providing safe, efficient, and affordable transportation to hundreds of millions of Indians across the country. We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India.”
Rahul Bhatia, InterGlobe Group Managing Director
InsideEVs noted that the proposed project includes the deployment of up to 200 Midnight eVTOLs in India by 2026. Once the partnership secures the necessary approval, the parties will advance to deploy four-passenger eVTOLs in New Delhi that can go 27 km (16.7 miles) from Connaught Place to Gurugram in just about 7 minutes.
It would be a significant development, considering that the route typically takes about 60-90 minutes by traditional car. The parties also seek to expand the operation in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
“I founded Archer with the vision to help decongest the world’s largest cities. India is one of, if not the largest opportunity for eVTOL aircraft utilization in the world, as it is home to the world’s largest population of over 1.4 billion people and its largest cities face some of the greatest congestion challenges in the world. Archer’s all-electric Midnight aircraft is designed to provide a revolutionary transportation solution that can help address these congestion issues.”
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein stated in the press release
Archer Aviation’s progress
Archer Aviation is an eVTOL aircraft manufacturer that aims to achieve commercial air taxi operations. It officially introduced its flagship eVTOL aircraft product, Midnight, in late last year.
Then, the Midnight eVTOL rolled off the company’s production lines last May owing to the aid of its major investor, Stellantis.
It recently announced plans to launch a commercial air taxi business in the UAE by 2026 in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, as reported by EV-a2z. In addition, the company also inked a contract with the US Air Force for the acquisition of Midnight eVTOL aircraft for up to $142 million.
Now, Archer may soon penetrate the Indian market with its innovative eVTOL aircraft, which can facilitate safer and greener urban mobility in the country. The companies also seek to explore the possibility of aircraft application apart from air taxi services, such as in the logistics and medical/emergency sectors.
