Nalwa Aero Aphulas (concept design)

(Image credit: Nalwa Aero)

Aphulas (concept design)
Nalwa Aero
Mohali, Punjab, India
www.nalwa.aero

Nalwa Aero was founded in 2023 by Kuljeet S. Sandhu CEO in India. Nalwa Aero is in the business of designing and manufacturing long-range passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM). The company's mission is to transform the future of air transportation in India and beyond. The company works with Nelson Salas, the CEO of the Grug Group, and they together are developing NALWA 5X to provide aircraft services as the first eVTOL passenger aircraft in India. The company is seeking investors. 

According to several September 2025 news reports, Nalwa Aero became the first Indian company to secure Design Organization Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India, for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to carry five or more passengers.

Aphulas passenger and air cargo eVTOL concept design aircraft
The Aphulas is a five passenger or air cargo eVTOL concept design aircraft. The aircraft has one pilot and carries four passengers and their luggage. Customers can specify multiple types of interior configurations, including an air cargo interior. The proposed aircraft can be powered by all-batteries or by a hydrogen hybrid-electric power source. The concept design is currently planned to be used for the company's production aircraft. 

The estimated cruise speed of the aircraft is 350 km/h (218 mph) and has a predicted flight time of 1-1/2 hours. The anticipated range for the aircraft using an all-battery power source is 450 km (280 m). The range for the aircraft using a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid-electric power source is expected to be 1,500 km (932 m). The maximum altitude is calculated to be 2,000 m (6,562 ft).

The aircraft will have eight tilt-props, eight electric motors and can be powered by batteries or using a hybrid-electric power source. The planned empty weight of the aircraft is 3,000 kg (6,614 lb), the maximum payload weight is predicted to be 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) and has a calculated maximum payload weight of 4,000 kg (8,819 lb). The aircraft has a box wing configuration with a small V tail above the rear of the fuselage. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The concept design aircraft has been designed to have fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear. 

The cabin can be configured to air taxi service, air ambulance, VIP interior, air cargo and more. The company states their aircraft has the range to perform both intracity flights (within the same city) and intercity flights (between two cities).

The company has stated the challenges for eVTOL aircraft in India are the following:

• Certification and aircraft safety
• Infrastructure needed to land and takeoff
• Propulsion technology is met
• Regulatory frameworks need to evolve match the aircraft
• Market adoption and cost

The company plans to start sales of their by 2028.

Editor's Note
It is important to remember that all concept design aircraft specifications are estimated and can or will change as prototypes and production models are made, tested and flown with real world avionics, components and payloads.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger and air cargo battery or hybrid-electric VTOL concept design aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot with fly-by-wire controls with autonomous operations
• Capacity: 4 passengers with luggage. Capable of multiple interior configurations such as a VIP interior, an air ambulance configuration, air cargo interior and more.
• Cruise speed: 350 km/h (218 mph)
• Range (all batteries): 450 km (280 m)
• Range (hybrid-electric): 1,500 km (932 m)
• Flight time: 1-1/2 hours
• Maximum altitude: 2,000 m (6,562 ft)
• Empty weight: 3,000 kg (6,614 lb)
• Maximum payload weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 4,000 kg (8,819 lb)
• Propellers: 8 tilt-props
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: An all battery power source or a hydrogen hybrid-electric power source
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left and right visibility for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Wings: Box wing
• Tail: Small V tail
• Landing gear: Fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure. 

Related Aircraft:

• Nalwa Aero Nalwa 5X-A (concept design)
• Nalwa Aero Nalwa 5X (concept design)

Resources:

• Nalwa Aero website
• Nalwa Aero Facebook
• Nalwa Aero YouTube Channel
• Nalwa Aero Instagram
• Nalwa Aero LinkedIn
• Kuljeet S. Sandhu Instagram
• Video: Nalwa 5X - India's First 5 Seater eVTOL II Electric Aircraft II Nalwa Aero, Nalwa Aero, Oct. 10, 2023
• Video: Nalwa 5X Launch, October 5, 2023, Grug Group LLC, Oct. 16, 2023
• Article: NALWA 5X, Medium, Oct. 17, 2023
• Article: Urban-Air Port and Nalwa Aero partner to advance air mobility infrastructure in India, Vertical Magazine, July 23, 2025
• Article: Punjab-based firm gets design approval for 5-seater electric air taxis capable of flying at 350 km/h, The Economic Times, Sept. 25, 2025
• Article: Nalwa Aero Gets DGCA Approval For 5-Seater Electric Air Taxis in India, Electric Car World, September 26, 2025