Chennai, May 23 (IANS): Electric flying taxi startup, The ePlane Company on Tuesday said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) it has granted the Design Organisation Approval (DOA).

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) incubated company is developing Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The DOA is a crucial first step in the aircraft certification process, and it paves the way for The ePlane Company to begin commercial production of its e200 eVTOL aircraft.

"We are delighted to receive the DOA certificate from the DGCA," said Prof. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, Founder and CEO, The ePlane Company.

"This is a major milestone for our company, it is a crucial first step in the aircraft certification process and paves another stone on the path towards commercialisation of our e200 eVTOL aircraft.

"It gives us immense pleasure to announce that ePlane is the first startup in India to be approved as a Design Organisation and one of the very few private entities for complete aircraft design," he added.