Advanced and Short-Haul Air Mobility for All (ASHA) is at its infancy stage in India, and with a massive hunger to grow, the Government of India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation are committed to participating as equal stakeholders to build the ecosystem for ASHA, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, said here on Tuesday.
Advanced air mobility (AAM) is expected to take off in the second half of this decade, according to McKinsey. The new form of transportation uses electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs)—small, battery-powered aircraft that can transport passengers and cargo—for a range of urban and regional transportation use cases, including commutes, airport taxi services, and medical transport.
While stating that the country is proving itself to be a manufacturing hub in the aerospace sector, Scindia invited global companies to be part of India’s journey. “The opportunities in the advanced air mobility sector are massive, and the drone market will become a ₹3 lakh crore market by 2030, employing 3-4 lakh people.”
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Speaking at the CII’s International Conference on Advanced and Short-Haul Air Mobility for All (ASHA): Technologies for Ease of Transport, he said, “31 to 49 per cent, which is 650 million people in India, are keen to use advanced short-haul air mobility, which shows the market potential that the country holds.”
A McKinsey report shows that 31 to 47 per cent of Indian respondents would consider using an AAM vehicle in the future, depending on the use case. McKinsey surveyed approximately 4,800 consumers in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Poland, and the United States in March 2021 to understand the potential demand for AAM and other issues at play.
While the Ministry and GOI are willing to be equal stakeholders in developing an ecosystem for the ASHA, which requires stronger infrastructure, short landing and takeoff facilities, safety regulations, and a general policy framework, no specific timeline for the development was announced.
“Advanced air mobility must have its basis in a strong civil aviation infrastructure. For the infrastructure to be built, urban city planners need to be involved, and along with vertiports, there is a need for charging points,” he said.
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During the conference, several announced various memoranda of understanding (MOUs). Hunch Urban Mobility (H.U.M. ), the parent company of Fly Blade India, and BETA will collaborate for the operations, manufacturing, assembly, service, and maintenance of eVTOLs in India. The MoU also looks at establishing a common battery charging infrastructure for electric motor vehicles and aerial vehicles in Karnataka.
Similarly, Jaunt Air and H.U.M. will work together to launch Jaunt’s eVTOL operations in India and neighboring countries, by developing the relevant infrastructure, public education, and policy frameworks. H.U.M.
Skyports (Infrastructure) and H.U.M. will collaborate toward the establishment of vertiport infrastructure in India. Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune have been identified as the pilot cities for the same.
In addition to the MOUs, H.U.M. also signed a term sheet with EVE Air Mobility that encompasses the purchase of 50 of EVE’s hybrid electric aircraft. Additionally, the partnership will explore EVE’s software solutions and services for the air mobility ecosystem.