BLADE India

What BLADE India does

BLADE India (legally Aeroflow Urban Air Mobility Private Limited) is an urban air mobility facilitator and booking platform, not an air carrier, that connects members with DGCA-approved Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) helicopter and aircraft operators. Founded in 2018-2019 as a joint venture between US-based BLADE and Hunch Ventures, the company operates across Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa, with a stated target to expand to ten Indian states within two years. The underlying platform is a mobile and web application that aggregates scheduled by-the-seat services, crowdsourced flights, and private charters into a single booking interface, supported by premium ground-side amenities such as partner lounges, meet-and-greet, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class transfers.

The product portfolio spans five core verticals: (1) scheduled by-the-seat helicopter services on routes such as Mumbai-Pune (Rs 18,900-21,900) and Bengaluru airport-city (Rs 3,250), (2) BLADE Anywhere private charters starting at Rs 95,000, (3) BLADE Corporate for enterprise travel, (4) BLADE Care for pan-India medical evacuation, and (5) BLADE Pilgrimages covering Chardham, Tirupati, and Shirdi. Fleet supply is sourced from licensed third-party operators plus dedicated assets secured through a partnership with Airbus (five H125 helicopters) and a flagged order for up to 200 eVTOLs from Embraer's Eve Air Mobility for deployment within five years.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-flight charter fees and transactional booking commissions, with supplementary revenue from gift cards and season passes. Go-to-market is predominantly direct-to-consumer via the BLADE mobile app (iOS/Android) and website, supplemented by a travel-agent partner program with exclusive incentives, a corporate sales team, and earned media coverage in business and aviation outlets. The headcount sits at 11-50 employees and the registered office is in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Name

BLADE India

Legal name

Aeroflow Urban Air Mobility Private Limited

Website

https://flyblade.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BLADE India (Aeroflow Urban Air Mobility) is a technology facilitator, not an air carrier, that aggregates DGCA-approved helicopter and aircraft operators into a single app-based booking platform, serving affluent corporate travelers, pilgrims, tourists, and medical evacuation customers across Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Air Mobility / Helicopter Charter Services

NAICS

Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Helicopter Charter (Private/Corporate) (TLAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Helicopter Pilgrimage & Special-Route Passenger Services (TLAFACAK)

Keywords

• Helicopter charter services
• Urban air mobility
• Private aviation booking
• Air ambulance services
• Pilgrimage helicopter tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Per-Flight Charter Fees: Revenue generated from booking individual helicopter flights on a per-flight basis, including both private charters and by-the-seat scheduled services
2. Season Passes and Gift Cards: Prepaid flight experiences and gift cards sold to customers for premium helicopter travel

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BLADE India is a technology facilitator (not an air carrier) that operates a digital platform and mobile app connecting members with DGCA-approved helicopter and aircraft operators across India. It sells scheduled by-the-seat helicopter flights on routes such as Mumbai-Pune and Bengaluru airport transfers, private charters (BLADE Anywhere) across India and abroad, corporate travel services (BLADE Corporate), medical evacuation (BLADE Care), and pilgrimage packages (Chardham, Tirupati, Shirdi).

Product overview

BLADE India is an urban air mobility platform that operates as a facilitator connecting passengers with licensed helicopter and aircraft operators. The company offers multiple service tiers: (1) Scheduled by-the-seat helicopter services for individual passengers on popular routes like Mumbai-Pune, Bengaluru airport transfers, and pilgrimage destinations; (2) BLADE Anywhere for private charter flights across India and abroad using various aircraft types; (3) BLADE Corporate for business travel; (4) BLADE Care for medical evacuation; and (5) BLADE Pilgrimages including Chardham and Tirupati helicopter packages. The platform also has a mobile app for easy booking and has partnered with Eve Air Mobility for future eVTOL/air taxi services. BLADE India is not an air carrier itself but a technology platform facilitating access to helicopter carriage services operated by DGCA-approved operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BLADE Anywhere: Personalized air charter service allowing travel anywhere in India and abroad using helicopters, turboprops, and jets.
• BLADE Corporate
• BLADE Care
• BLADE Pilgrimages
• BLADE Season Passes

Products and services

• Scheduled By-The-Seat Helicopter Service Pay-per-person helicopter service allowing individual passengers to book seats on scheduled routes between major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Goa, transforming hours of road travel into short flights (e.g., Mumbai-Pune in 40 minutes at Rs 18,900-21,900; Bengaluru airport-city in 12-15 minutes at ~Rs 3,250).
• BLADE Anywhere (Private Charter) Personalized private air charter service enabling travel beyond daily scheduled routes across India and abroad using helicopters, turboprops, and small to mid-size to large jets, with starting price of Rs 95,000 per flight. Includes dedicated flier-experience manager, meet & greet, partner lounge access, luxury Mercedes-Benz transfers, and customized in-flight dining.
• BLADE Corporate Corporate travel solution providing helicopter transfers and private jet services for business travelers, with dedicated flier relations support, curated food and beverage, and bulk arrangements for corporate clients.
• BLADE Care (Medical Evacuation / Air Ambulance) End-to-end air ambulance and medical evacuation service for critical patient transport across India using helicopter and aircraft assets, providing rapid medical evacuation pan-India.
• Chardham Helicopter Packages Pilgrimage helicopter service covering the four sacred Char Dham sites of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath in the Himalayas, offering spiritual tours by helicopter for pilgrims.
• BLADE Pilgrimages Spiritual helicopter travel services to India's sacred pilgrimage sites including Chardham, Tirupati, Shirdi, and other religious destinations.
• C90GT Helicopter Service Premium helicopter service using the C90GT aircraft featuring luxurious interiors with plush leather seating and wood finishes, Pro Line 21 avionics suite, PT6A-135A engines, and seating for up to 6 passengers. Bundled with dedicated relationship manager, meet & greet, lounge access, Mercedes-Benz E-Class airport transfers, and customized meals.
• BLADE for Travel Agents Partner program for travel agents in India offering exclusive incentives to book BLADE India helicopter services for their high-net-worth clients, acting as a distribution channel for premium air travel.
• BLADE Season Passes & Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards and season passes for BLADE helicopter flight experiences, allowing customers to purchase flight credits for personal use or as gifts to friends and family.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces Mumbai-Pune travel from 3+ hours to 40 minutes
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Eve Air Mobility (Embraer)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2022BLADE India signed an order for up to 200 electric eVTOL aircraft from Embraer's Eve Air Mobility subsidiary. The partnership aims to deploy air taxis in India within 5 years, supporting BLADE's vision for sustainable urban air mobility. Eve will provide the eVTOL aircraft while BLADE will operate and manage the urban air mobility network in India.
• LexusminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2022BLADE India partnered with Lexus for seamless premium mobility services. Lexus provides luxury ground transportation (Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicles with professional chauffeurs) for airport transfers, complementing BLADE's helicopter services for an end-to-end premium travel experience.
• AirbuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2021BLADE India partnered with Airbus to expand its on-demand helicopter services. The agreement includes induction of 5 new Airbus H125 helicopters into the BLADE fleet. The partnership supports BLADE's plans to expand services to 10 states across India within 2 years.
• Panchshil RealtyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2020BLADE India collaborated with Panchshil Realty to establish heliport facilities at Yoo Villas in Pune, enabling helicopter services closer to Pune's IT hub (Kharadi). This partnership provides more convenient departure points for corporate commuters traveling between Pune and Mumbai.
• DGCA Approved NSOP OperatorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBLADE India works with DGCA-approved Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) holders who actually operate the flights. BLADE facilitates the booking platform while licensed helicopter operators provide the air carriage services. BLADE is not an air carrier itself.
• Hunch MobilityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHunch Mobility is BLADE India's joint venture partner for urban air mobility operations in India. Hunch Mobility's MD Amit Dutta has spoken publicly about BLADE's vision for affordable air taxis. The partnership enables BLADE to leverage Hunch's local operational expertise and network.
• Sarla AviationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHunch Mobility partners with Sarla Aviation as announced in recent news updates, indicating an expanding ecosystem of partners for BLADE's urban air mobility operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Club One Air: Indian private jet and helicopter charter operator serving HNW and corporate travelers across India. Comparable as a regional competitor in the premium on-demand air charter category that BLADE India serves through BLADE Anywhere.
• Heritage Aviation: Indian charter and helicopter operator providing private aviation services across India. Comparable as a regional competitor in the premium helicopter charter space that BLADE India's BLADE Anywhere service competes with for HNW and corporate clients.
• Pawan Hans: India's largest helicopter operator (government-backed) providing offshore, charter, and regional helicopter services. Comparable as the dominant incumbent rotorcraft operator in India whose NSOPs BLADE India relies on, and a potential future competitor or partner.

Emerging players

• Volocopter: German eVTOL air-taxi developer pursuing urban passenger services in Europe and Asia. Comparable as a competing eVTOL platform pursuing similar urban passenger routes BLADE India aims to serve.
• Archer Aviation: Public eVTOL developer building urban air taxi networks in the US and UAE with partners like United Airlines. Comparable as a competing eVTOL air-taxi play pursuing similar passenger urban mobility routes that BLADE India targets.
• Sarla Aviation: India-based eVTOL air-taxi startup partnered with Hunch Mobility (BLADE India's JV partner). Comparable as a domestic eVTOL competitor that could either partner with or compete against BLADE India in India's emerging air taxi market.
• Lilium: Germany-based eVTOL developer building regional air mobility networks using electric jet technology. Comparable as a competitor pursuing premium electric passenger aviation in the same emerging category BLADE India is targeting.

Broad incumbents

• Eve Air Mobility: Embraer subsidiary and eVTOL aircraft manufacturer with whom BLADE India signed the 200-aircraft order. Comparable as the OEM platform provider for the future BLADE India fleet and a key supplier in the urban air mobility value chain.
• Joby Aviation: Public eVTOL air-taxi developer targeting urban passenger service with FAA-certified aircraft. Comparable as a leader in the same long-term urban air mobility category BLADE India is preparing to enter via its 200-aircraft Eve partnership.

Direct peers

• BLADE (US): US-based parent company and namesake helicopter booking platform offering scheduled by-the-seat, crowdsourced, and private charter flights across multiple US cities. Directly comparable as the original platform business model that BLADE India replicates and extends in the Indian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bladeindia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCm6WNV46aSrBVHgrR79PaiQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/flybladeindia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blade-india
• Instagraminstagram.com/blade.india/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BLADE India