ePlane and Apollo Hospitals sign MoU for air ambulance network
The partnership will integrate electric air ambulances and medical delivery drones to improve emergency response and speed up access to specialised care.
L to R: Aditya Reddy, Apollo Hospitals; S. M. Krishnan, Apollo Hospitals; Suneeta Reddy, Apollo Hospitals; Satya Chakravarthy, The ePlane Company; Jayakrishnan Ramaswamy, The ePlane Company and Divya Manchanda,The ePlane Company.
The ePlane Company and Apollo Hospitals have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate electric air ambulances and medical delivery drones into India's emergency healthcare system. The partnership aims to improve access to trauma care by reducing delays caused by road congestion and long travel distances, enabling patients to reach specialised treatment more quickly. The MoU was signed in Chennai and announced at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK.
Karthik Reddy, Director, Apollo Hospitals Group and Satya Chakravarthy, Founder & CTO, The ePlane Company at the Farnborough International Airshow, UK.
The collaboration aims to improve emergency response for trauma, cardiac and stroke patients, for whom the first hour after an emergency is critical. The partners said many patients lose valuable time because of traffic, distance and the need to first reach nearby healthcare facilities before being transferred to specialised trauma centres.
Under the partnership, The ePlane Company's e200X electric air ambulances will be used for inter-hospital transfers, trauma response, cardiac and stroke emergencies, and organ transport. The company said the aircraft is designed to move patients up to seven times faster than road transport while costing significantly less than helicopter transfers. Its subsidiary, Amber Wings, will provide medical delivery drones to transport blood products, organs, vaccines, medicines and diagnostic samples between healthcare facilities in a shorter time. Apollo Hospitals will contribute its network of 1,066 ambulances, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and diagnostic centres to support the connected emergency response system.
As part of the collaboration, Apollo Hospitals has indicated its intention to examine the possibility of ordering e200X air ambulances and Amber Wings' medical delivery drones. The MoU also outlines the possibility of a future strategic investment by Apollo in The ePlane Company, subject to future agreements. Both organisations also plan to work with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other authorities on the regulatory and infrastructure requirements for the project.
Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals Group, said the partnership reflects Apollo's commitment to expanding access to emergency care across the country. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder and CTO of The ePlane Company, said the collaboration will explore how electric aircraft and drones can help reduce the time between accidents and treatment, particularly for people living far from specialised trauma care.
The announcement follows The ePlane Company's recent unveiling of the first full-scale prototype of its e200X electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The prototype, designated PT-01, has entered the ground-testing phase ahead of planned certification flight tests in 2027. The e200X is being developed as a multi-role platform for passenger transport, air ambulance and cargo operations, with the company targeting commercial operations from 2028.
