Sarla Aviation, a Bengaluru-based aerospace startup, commenced ground testing of its half-scale eVTOL demonstrator SYLLA SYL-X1 on December 22, 2025, at its Bengaluru facility, marking a pivotal advancement in India’s push for self-reliant advanced air mobility. Featuring a 7.5-meter wingspan, the SYL-X1—India’s largest and most advanced private eVTOL prototype—validates structural integrity, propulsion systems, and safety architecture, designed with certification intent from the outset to bridge toward a full-scale 15-meter aircraft targeting urban air taxi services by 2028. Developed in just nine months at a fraction of global costs by a 70-engineer team backed by USD 13 million in funding, this milestone underscores India’s burgeoning private aerospace prowess, positioning the nation competitively in next-generation vertical flight amid plans for a massive manufacturing hub in Andhra Pradesh.