In a groundbreaking move towards sustainable and efficient transportation, InterGlobe Enterprises, India’s premier travel and hospitality conglomerate, has joined forces with Archer Aviation Inc (NYSE: ACHR), a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. They announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the shared vision of introducing an all-electric air taxi service in India, pending regulatory approvals.
Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, expressed enthusiasm about the venture, 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.”
The collaboration aims to pioneer a revolutionary transportation solution that enhances urban mobility, offering a safe, sustainable, and low-noise electric air taxi service. Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer of Archer Aviation, highlighted the significance of this partnership, 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.”
The proposed partnership entails working with local business partners to operate Archer’s aircraft, developing vertiport infrastructure, and training essential personnel for seamless operations. The plan also includes the acquisition of up to 200 of Archer’s Midnight aircraft for operations in India.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL, is designed for rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time, promising to revolutionize travel. The goal is to reduce a typical 60-90 minute car journey from Connaught Place to Gurugram in Delhi to a mere 7 minutes.
Beyond urban air taxi services, the collaboration envisions diverse applications for electric aircraft in India, spanning cargo, logistics, medical and emergency services, as well as private company and charter services.
Adam Goldstein, CEO and Founder of Archer, emphasized the potential impact in addressing congestion challenges, stating, “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 added, “Archer’s innovative, state-of-the-art electric air taxis are designed to provide a safe and sustainable, low-noise urban mobility solution for India, as it races towards becoming a $5 trillion economy.”
With urban congestion posing a global challenge, Archer’s electric air taxis aim to provide a forward-looking, eco-friendly solution to meet India’s growing transportation needs. The partnership targets major cities, beginning with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with the potential to transform the way people and goods move, contributing to a greener and more efficient future.