InterGlobe Enterprises, a pioneering travel and hospitality conglomerate in India, and Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), a leading player in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, have officially announced their strategic collaboration to introduce an all-electric air taxi service across India. The initiative, slated for a 2026 launch, aims to revolutionize urban transportation in the country. The deal comes only weeks after Archer signed an agreement for air taxi services in the UAE.
The proposed partnership outlines plans to engage local business partners for operating Archer’s aircraft, constructing vertiport infrastructure, and conducting comprehensive training for pilots and support personnel. Additionally, the collaboration aims to secure financing for up to 200 units of Archer’s Midnight aircraft, specially designed for rapid, back-to-back flights with minimal charging time between each journey.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted four-passenger eVTOL, targets an impressive reduction in travel times. The goal is to transport passengers on a 27-km journey from Connaught Place to Gurugram, which typically takes 60 to 90 minutes by car, in approximately 7 minutes.
Aside from urban air taxi services, the collaboration has broader aspirations, including exploring applications in cargo, logistics, medical and emergency services, as well as private company and charter services within India.
Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “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.”
Archer’s CEO and Founder, Adam Goldstein, emphasized the significance of addressing congestion challenges in India, saying, “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.”
Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer Aviation, echoed this sentiment, stating, “At Archer, our goal is to make cities greener, smarter, more efficient places to live. We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Rahul and the InterGlobe team to bring our Midnight aircraft to Indian cities and fundamentally transform mobility across the country, with the goal of starting with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.”
Projections by the World Bank indicate that the urban population will more than double by 2050, leading to extended commutes in major cities worldwide. Archer’s cutting-edge electric air taxis emerge as a timely, sustainable, and low-noise urban mobility solution, aligning with India’s trajectory towards becoming a $5 trillion economy.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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