Reaching the right hospital quickly can be critical during a medical emergency. Seeking to address delays caused by traffic and distance, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road has entered into a three-way partnership with Sarla Aviation and Aeromed International Rescue Services to explore the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for medical transportation.
The agreement was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on August 7, 2026. It brings together the clinical capabilities and hospital network of Manipal Hospitals, Sarla Aviation’s eVTOL technology and Aeromed’s expertise in air ambulance and medical evacuation operations.
The proposed model is aimed at creating a more direct connection between patients and hospitals, particularly when conventional road transport may not be fast enough. The partners will identify routes where aerial medical transport could provide a meaningful advantage during emergencies.
One of the key areas of work will be the adaptation of Sarla Aviation’s Shunya eVTOL aircraft for medical use. This includes designing a dedicated medical cabin, incorporating required equipment and developing systems that allow patients to be moved safely between ground ambulances, aircraft and hospitals.
The initiative is expected to examine a range of time-critical situations, including trauma, cardiac emergencies, stroke cases, neonatal transfers and organ transplantation. Alongside aircraft and medical infrastructure, the partners will work on operational procedures, safety and insurance frameworks, training and the evaluation of patient outcomes.
The potential of advanced air mobility for healthcare has also received attention from policymakers. Shri. Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Minister of Civil Aviation of India, said, “What we have to now provide is seamless connectivity from the airport to the doorstep. That is where this will be very, very instrumental. With the kind of urbanisation and increase in population that we are seeing, we have to bring in new technologies to cater to that.”
For Manipal Hospitals, the initiative represents an effort to combine healthcare infrastructure with emerging mobility technologies. The approach could be particularly relevant in densely populated cities, where road congestion can add valuable minutes to emergency journeys.
If successfully developed and scaled, eVTOL-based medical transport could complement existing ambulance services rather than replace them. It could provide an additional option for situations where speed, distance or traffic makes conventional transportation challenging.
The partnership reflects a broader shift towards integrating aviation, technology and healthcare to improve access to time-sensitive medical services. By developing aircraft specifically around clinical and patient-care requirements, the initiative could contribute to a more responsive emergency transport network in India.
As eVTOL technology progresses, collaborations of this kind may help determine how aerial mobility can be safely integrated into the country’s healthcare infrastructure and emergency-care ecosystem.
(The above image is for illustrative purposes only)