India's Most Valuable Carmaker Maruti Suzuki To Soon Launch Air Taxis Named SkyDrive

If its dominance on Indian roads wasn¡¯t enough, India¡¯s most valuable carmaker Maruti Suzuki is now setting its eyes on the sky.

Maruti Suzuki Planning To Launch Air Taxis

maruti suzuki air taxi skydrive/autoevolution

Mauri Suzuki is planning to develop electric air copters. As per a Times of India report, the soon to be launched electric air copters would have the ability to carry three passengers, including the pilot, and would be bigger than drones but smaller than conventional helicopters. These air taxis have the potential to completely transform transportation, much like the on-ground versions of Uber and Ola.

For the unversed, Maruti Suzuki is currently India's most valuable automaker company, with a market cap of Rs 3.36 lakh crore. The next automaker that comes closest is Tata Motors, at Rs 3.34 lakh crore. In another major announcement for India's auto sector last week, Hyundai is reportedly planning to launch an IPO in India this year around Diwali 2024.

Maruti Suzuki's Air Taxi To Be Named SkyDrive

maruti suzuki air taxi/autoevolution

Maruti Suzuki has decided to name their electric air copters SkyDrive. With 12 motor and rotor units, it is anticipated to make its debut at the 2025 Osaka Expo in Japan. Although Maruti intends to eventually introduce this technology to India through the 'Make in India' initiative, the initial sales focus will be on Japan and the US.

The report stated that the air copter would weigh almost half as much as a conventional helicopter, with a take-off weight of 1.4 tonnes. It can take off and land on building rooftops because of its low weight. The report went on to say that another benefit of electrification is a significant decrease in the number of aircraft parts, which lowers manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Also Read: When Tata Motors Came Out With A Nano Car Worth Rs 22 Crore

Reason Behind Maruti Suzuki Aiming For The Skies

maruti suzuki air copter/autoevolution

The goal of this plan is to be a pioneer in the development of new mobility solutions, starting with the US and Japanese markets and gradually moving on to India. Maruti is considering manufacturing in India in order to reduce manufacturing costs, in addition to exploring the Indian market for sales. Suzuki Motor's assistant manager for global automobile planning, Kento Ogura, told TOI that the company is in discussions with the aviation regulator, DGCA, and is undertaking feasibility studies to make this a reality. Ogura works in the automobile product planning group.

Currently, the business is searching the Indian market for possible partners and clients. The cost of the air drones must be low for them to be successful in India. Assistant manager at Suzuki Motor, Kento Ogura, stressed that the product has to be less expensive than helicopters.

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