Uttarakhand innovator Ravi Tamta builds flying car without any formal engineering degree
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Uttarakhand innovator Ravi Tamta builds flying car without any formal engineering degree")
HAPIDA SKYNeX electric flying vehicle Photograph: (X | Screenshot)
Ravi Tamta, a self-taught innovator from Almora, has test-flown HAPIDA SKYNeX, a single-seat electric flying vehicle that still requires further testing and regulatory clearance.
Ravi Tamta, an innovator from Almora district, successfully test-flew a single-seat electric flying vehicle he developed, drawing praise from the state chief minister and a Union minister, though the machine remains a prototype awaiting further testing and regulatory clearance. Tamta has no formal engineering education and calls himself self-taught through the internet. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Uttarakhand’s Almora
The vehicle, named HAPIDA SKYNeX, was flown on open ground in Almora in early August, according to reports published on August 7. Videos of the flight circulated widely on social media.
Tamta, a resident of Kaflikhan village near Jageshwar Dham, developed the vehicle through his startup, Hapida Sky Private Limited. The company describes it as a fully electric, zero-emission personal flying vehicle built on modified and upgraded drone technology. It is designed to carry one person.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated Tamta, calling the flight evidence of the scientific aptitude and talent of the country's youth. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also commended the work, saying talent is not confined by geography.
Tamta said the project was motivated by the difficulty of travel in the state's hills. By his account, a road journey of about 40 km can take roughly 90 minutes, a trip he believes the vehicle could cover in about 10 minutes.
He has said the prototype requires further testing and regulatory approvals before commercial deployment. No certification for the vehicle has been reported. Personal flying vehicles face stringent safety and certification requirements, and the SKYNeX has not been cleared for public use.
In a video posted on social media after the flight, Tamta said he had been unable to speak to the media immediately afterwards, and that the Almora administration was now handling demonstrations and media requests.
HAPIDA SKYNeX was not Tamta's first technology project. His other innovations include shoes that charge mobile phones, a smart walking stick for people with visual impairments, a bamboo-splitting machine and firefighting equipment. He has also developed a stick mobile charger and a fire extinguisher for the Forest Department.
