The increasing confluence of artificial intelligence, simulation, and autonomous systems has started impacting aerospace, and an Indian startup has found itself right in the midst of the trend. The ePlane Company, which operates out of Chennai, India, was highlighted in Jensen Huang’s keynote speech by the CEO of NVIDIA during COMPUTEX 2026. The keynote mentioned the incorporation of AI and digital-twin technologies used in developing electric VTOL aircraft by the company.
This puts ePlane amongst the select few eVTOL companies around the globe who are collaborating with NVIDIA on technologies pertaining to the certification process of their aircraft. According to ePlane Company, it is the third eVTOL company in the world and the first ever in Asia to collaborate with NVIDIA in this regard.
AI and Digital-Twins in Aviation Development:
The keynote of NVIDIA emphasized the topic of Physical AI that incorporates artificial intelligence, simulation, robotics, and autonomous systems to create machines that work intelligently in a physical environment. While most of the discussions revolving around AI have been limited to software-related applications, NVIDIA has been incorporating its technology stack into industries like manufacturing, robotics, and aerospace.
In the case of ePlane, the collaboration entails embedding NVIDIA technology into the aircraft’s development and certification process. As reported by the manufacturer, it was the first ever eVTOL aircraft to officially declare NVIDIA hardware for its avionics and also seeks certifications by incorporating this hardware in their aircraft systems.
The collaboration will entail using NVIDIA Omniverse to develop digital twins of aircraft based on real-world physics principles that simulate various flight situations, failures, and operational edge cases and then collecting all kinds of data from these simulations for certification purposes.
Certification and development support:
Based on reports from ePlane, the digital twins are being used in creating simulation data for its certifications with the Indian regulator in a bid to expedite validation and testing without compromising on aviation standards.
Professor Satya Chakraavarthy, Founder and CEO of ePlane, stated that the collaboration showcases the capabilities of India’s aerospace industry in developing safety-critical systems across the world.
Vishnu Ramakrishnan, ePlane’s Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy and Business Partnerships, pointed out that their choice by NVIDIA is an illustration of the credibility of their technology platform in the aerospace industry.
The company is now undergoing the Ground Test Vehicle stage of its first full-size aircraft program while at the same time raising funds for Series C. As the manufacturers of eVTOLs around the globe approach commercial availability, it becomes ever more crucial to establish cooperation based on artificial intelligence, simulation, and certification technologies.
