Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with Sarla Aviation and Aeromed International Rescue Services to explore the development of next-generation air ambulance services using electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in India.
The partnership combines Sarla Aviation’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology, Manipal Hospitals’ clinical expertise and medical network, and Aeromed’s experience in air ambulance and emergency evacuation operations. Together, the organizations aim to establish a seamless medical transport system capable of transferring patients directly between their locations and specialized healthcare facilities, significantly reducing delays caused by urban traffic congestion and long travel distances.
Under the agreement signed on August 7, 2026, joint teams will focus on designing a specialized medical bay and integrating critical life-support equipment into Sarla Aviation’s Shunya eVTOL aircraft. The collaboration targets emergency transfers for time-sensitive medical conditions, including severe trauma, heart attacks, strokes, specialized neonatal care, and organ transplantation.
To ensure patient safety and care continuity, standard operational procedures will be established for patient transfers across ground ambulances, eVTOL aircraft, and hospital facilities, including emergency protocols for situations requiring rapid care escalation. The framework also encompasses specialized crew training programs, comprehensive safety and insurance frameworks, and research initiatives to evaluate patient outcomes.
Speaking about the potential of such technologies, 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.”
Emphasizing the clinical significance of the initiative, Dr. H. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals, said, “Healthcare is constantly evolving, and our responsibility is to embrace innovations that can make care more accessible, timely and effective. The integration of advanced aviation technology with our healthcare expertise has the potential to significantly transform emergency and inter-hospital patient transfers. Through this collaboration, we hope to help shape a safe, clinically robust and scalable model for next-generation air ambulance services in India, with the patient firmly at the centre.”
