TV
India has taken a major stride toward sustainable aviation with the launch of its first domestically developed two-seater electric trainer aircraft, named E-Hansa. The announcement came during a high-level review meeting of the country’s top science departments, chaired by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Highlighting the initiative as a milestone in India’s aerospace innovation, Dr. Singh revealed it is a matter of pride that the new aircraft is being indigenously developed by the CSIR institute of "National Aerospace Laboratories" (NAL) Bengaluru.
E-Hansa is positioned as an economical and eco-friendly training aircraft tailored for pilot instruction. With an estimated cost of around Rs 2 crore, it offers a significant price advantage—approximately half the cost of equivalent imported electric trainers, making it a highly competitive alternative.
The project forms a crucial component of the HANSA-3 Next Generation (NG) aircraft program, aiming to boost indigenous capabilities in civil aviation.
Apart from supporting the local aviation industry, E-Hansa is expected to play a transformative role in India’s journey toward green aviation, promoting the use of clean energy in the aviation sector.
“This aircraft reflects India’s growing commitment to sustainable innovation and self-reliance in high-tech sectors,” Dr. Singh remarked, emphasizing the long-term vision to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and imported aviation technology.
Once operational, E-Hansa could serve as a game-changer for pilot training academies across the country, providing an affordable, efficient, and environmentally friendly training platform.
Stressing the need for commercialization of indigenous technologies, Dr. Jitendra Singh called for greater public-private partnerships (PPP). He directed the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) to emulate the successful models of DBT-BIRAC and IN-SPACe for technology transfer and private sector engagement.
