BENGALURU, India — Sarla Aviation in Bengaluru, India, is using Siemens' Xcelerator software portfolio to support development of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This effort will connect design, simulation, and certification work through a digital engineering approach.
The company plans to launch electric air taxi operations in Bengaluru by 2028. As development continues, Sarla is using Siemens software to help engineering teams manage the large amount of data generated throughout an aircraft program.
Related: Joby joins federal eVTOL pilot program to advance air taxi operations
Connecting engineering teams
Designing an aircraft rarely happens inside a single software program. Engineers responsible for electrical systems, batteries, avionics, flight controls, and manufacturing often rely on different tools while working on the same aircraft. That creates a challenge because a change made by one team can affect several others, and everyone needs access to the latest information before moving forward.
A digital thread addresses that problem by connecting those engineering activities instead of treating them as separate steps. Design changes can flow into simulation, manufacturing, and certification work without requiring teams to transfer information manually throughout the development process.
The goal is to make sure everyone is working from the same set of data as a design continues to evolve.
eVTOL programs bring added complexity
That connected approach has become even more important for companies developing electric aircraft. Unlike conventional helicopters or airplanes, eVTOL aircraft combine electric propulsion, battery systems, flight-control software, lightweight structures, and complex electrical architectures into a single platform. Adjusting one part of the design can affect every other aspect.
Running simulations earlier in development helps engineers identify those interactions before building physical hardware. That can lessen the need for revisions later while giving teams more confidence that different systems will work together as expected.
Software supports development from concept to certification
Sarla Aviation is using several Siemens applications across the development process, including tools for design, software development, and product lifecycle management. Together, those applications create a shared engineering environment that follows the aircraft from early planning through validation and certification.
Traceability plays an important role as well. Aircraft manufacturers must document how systems were developed, tested, and verified throughout development. Keeping those records connected to the process can simplify certification activities as programs mature.
For companies building entirely new aircraft, that documentation becomes just as important as the engineering work itself.
Sarla said the software will support development of its advanced air mobility platform as it works toward commercial operations later this decade. Siemens said connected engineering workflows can help developers strengthen collaboration and manage increasingly complex aircraft programs.
