The UK-based technology conglomerate SRAM & MRAM Technologies and Resources Limited has invested Rs 300 crore ($37 million) in Bumble Bee Flights Pvt Ltd. This company has developed India’s first autonomous air mobility solution with multiple use-case scenarios, including air ambulance, air taxi, logistics, recreational use, and defence applications.
The Bengaluru-based startup, established in early 2022 by serial entrepreneur and expert in air mobility solutions Arjun Das, said it would use the funds to establish an assembly plant in Odisha to manufacture the air taxis. By April 2023, the company plans to launch the prototype.
According to an official release, Bumble Bee Flights will manufacture air taxis under the Bee Flights brand. By 2024, these air taxis will be certified and available for production.
Arjun Das, Founder of Bumble Bee Flights, said, “eVTOL Aircrafts are the future of urban mobility and transport. These autonomous air taxis would not only ease the already burdened urban road infrastructure but also will work towards reducing carbon footprints. We aim to work towards making mobility cheaper, faster, and more sustainable.”
In collaboration with operators around the world, Bumble Bee Flights will design and manufacture these air taxis, Arjun added. The first step would be obtaining certification for India, the US, the UK, the UAE, and Singapore.
“We are like the Boeing or Airbus for air mobility solutions,” Arjun said.
He stated that the company was dedicated to make in India, make for the global market, and build the transportation of the future. “This is also a step towards putting Odisha and India on the global air mobility solution map,” he said.
Gurujee Kumaran Swami, Vice Chairman, SRAM & MRAM Technologies and Resources Limited, said, “We are committed to the make in India movement and [we] share a common vision of the importance of a sustainable future using electric air mobility systems.”
