The ePlane Company and Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce electric air ambulances and medical delivery drones into India’s emergency healthcare system. The collaboration aims to connect emergency patients across urban corridors and remote locations to trauma care by reducing delays caused by traffic and distance.
According to the companies, more than 170,000 people die in road accidents in India each year, with only one in five patients reaching trauma care within the critical “golden hour”. The collaboration seeks to address this gap by enabling faster access to specialised trauma care.
“India loses far too many lives simply because help cannot arrive in time,” said Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group. “As the founder of Apollo Hospitals, which pioneered India’s private healthcare model, I have long believed that access, along with deep clinical expertise, is what saves lives. This collaboration with The ePlane Company reflects our commitment to bringing Apollo’s clinical excellence to every corner of the country, however remote.”
“Every minute matters when someone’s life is on the line,” said Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder & CTO of The ePlane Company. “Working with Apollo Hospitals allows us to explore how our electric aircraft and drones can help close the gap between accident and treatment, especially for the millions of Indians living far from specialized trauma care.”
The organisations stated that for trauma, cardiac and stroke patients, the first hour following an emergency is important for treatment outcomes. However, patients often lose this time because of traffic congestion, long travel distances and the need to first stabilise at a nearby facility before being transferred to a specialised trauma centre. The collaboration aims to provide a more direct route from the point of emergency to definitive care.
Under the collaboration, the emergency response network will combine air and road ambulance services. The ePlane Company’s e200X electric aircraft is designed for inter-hospital transfers, trauma response, cardiac and stroke emergencies, and organ transport. According to the company, the aircraft can transport patients up to seven times faster than road transport and at a lower cost than traditional helicopter transfers.
The partnership will also include medical delivery drones through ePlane’s subsidiary, Amber Wings. The unmanned aerial vehicles are designed to transport blood products, organs, vaccines, medicines and diagnostic samples between healthcare facilities, reducing delivery times from hours to minutes.
Apollo Hospitals will contribute its network of 1,066 ambulances, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and diagnostic centres. According to the companies, integrating these capabilities will support the development of a connected emergency response system for urban and remote regions.
As part of the collaboration, Apollo Hospitals has indicated its intent to examine the possibility of placing orders for the e200X air ambulances and Amber Wings medical delivery drones. The MoU also outlines the possibility of a future strategic investment by Apollo in The ePlane Company, subject to future agreement on terms. Both organisations also intend to work with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other relevant authorities while continuing discussions on the infrastructure required to support these operations.