Rajiv Bansal Joins Air-Taxi Startup Sarla Aviation in Strategic Advisory Role Bansal brings over 30 years of experience in aviation policy and operations. His leadership is expected to support Sarla Aviation in shaping its certification processes, aligning with aviation authorities, and engaging with key stakeholders including airports and city administrations.

Former Civil Aviation Secretary and ex-Managing Director of Air India, Rajiv Bansal, has joined air-taxi startup Sarla Aviation as a strategic advisor. Bansal will guide the company on regulatory policy, certification strategy, and scaling operations as it prepares for its next phase of growth.

Sarla Aviation, which focuses on urban air mobility and next-generation aircraft systems, announced the appointment as a major step toward redefining mass transportation in India. With Bansal's extensive background in civil aviation, the company aims to strengthen its regulatory approach while transitioning from engineering development to real-world deployment and flight testing.

"India is at a pivotal point in aviation, with the talent, ambition, and urgency to build sovereign aerospace capabilities," said Rajiv Bansal. "Sarla's bold, full-stack approach—designing, engineering, and building next-gen aircraft entirely in India—represents both national strength and tech leadership. I'm proud to support a team that's thinking long-term, building fearlessly, and setting a new benchmark for Indian innovation."

Bansal brings over 30 years of experience in aviation policy and operations. His leadership is expected to support Sarla Aviation in shaping its certification processes, aligning with aviation authorities, and engaging with key stakeholders including airports and city administrations.

Adrian Schmidt, Co-founder and CEO of Sarla Aviation, said, "It's an incredibly important step for Sarla to welcome Mr. Rajiv Bansal to our team and our mission. His experience will be instrumental in helping us mature our processes and strengthen our approach as we build India's first privately held full-stack aviation OEM."

Sarla Aviation recently showcased its six-seater electric air taxi prototype, Shunya, at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025 in Delhi. Earlier this year, the company secured over USD 12 million in funding from investors such as Accel, Nikhil Kamath, Sriharsha Majety, and Binny Bansal.

Founded in 2023 and based in Bengaluru, Sarla Aviation aims to build safe, clean, and accessible air mobility solutions across India. Named after Sarla Thukral, the country's first woman pilot, the company plans to introduce flying taxis in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune, contributing to India's long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.