LaunchMobility & Logistics
Nalwa Aero flight-tests box-wing electric aircraft
By Abha Lohia · Editor ·
MohaliFounded 2023
- Nalwa Aero is an Indian aerospace startup building electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft for civil and defence use
- Early flight tests of its scaled box-wing model showed low-altitude hovering and forward flight using tilting rotors
- Its founder briefed the civil aviation minister, who encouraged the company's push for homegrown aircraft technology
What happened
- Nalwa Aero reported a flight-test milestone.
- The scaled model uses a box-wing design.
- Tests showed hovering and forward flight.
- The founders met the civil aviation minister.
Why it matters
- Box-wing designs are an unusual alternative to standard wings.
- It supports India's plans for advanced air mobility.
The business
- The company develops eVTOL aircraft.
- It targets civil and defence uses.
The founders
Words to know
- eVTOL
- electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically
The numbers around it
Mobility & Logistics in October 2026: 11 rounds with a disclosed amount, $544 million in all; the biggest was Ola Electric (₹1,000 Cr). Every sector this year →
Terms in this story
- Startup: A startup is a young company built to find a new way of doing something and to grow fast, usually by serving many customers at little extra cost. India also has a legal definition for scheme benefits: under ten years old, turnover under ₹200 crore, and working on innovation or a scalable model.
- IN-SPACe authorisation: IN-SPACe authorisation is the formal approval that the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre gives a private company before it launches rockets, operates satellites or sells certain space services from India. It sits at the centre of the Indian Space Policy 2023, which opened the sector to private firms.
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