BluJ Aerospace

BluJ Aerospace is an aerospace manufacturer developing long-range, hydrogen-electric powered Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft for cargo and passenger transport. Founded in Hyderabad, India, in 2022 by Maruthi Amardeep Sri Vatsavaya and Utham Kumar Dharmapuri, the company aims to reduce travel time and improve connectivity with sustainable aviation solutions. The founders, Vatsavaya and Dharmapuri, leverage their extensive experience from senior roles at prominent aerospace and technology firms like Boeing, Collins Aerospace, GE Research, and Skyroot Aerospace. Vatsavaya was also part of the founding team at Skyroot Aerospace, contributing to their first rocket launch.

The company is developing a hybrid hydrogen-electric propulsion system that combines high-power-density Li-ion batteries with high-energy-density fuel cells and lightweight Type-IV composite hydrogen storage tanks. This system is designed to enable zero-emission flights with greater range and payload capacities compared to purely electric alternatives. BluJ's aircraft airframes are constructed with 80% carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) to achieve a high strength-to-weight ratio.

BluJ Aerospace has two primary aircraft in its pipeline: "BluJ REACH," a fully autonomous cargo drone with a 100 kg payload capacity and a range of over 250 km, and "BluJ Hop," a passenger aircraft designed for regional travel. The company successfully conducted a flight test of a full-scale eVTOL prototype, the largest privately developed aircraft in India. Commercial operations for the cargo variant are anticipated to begin by 2026, targeting logistics, e-commerce, medical supply delivery, and defense applications. Passenger services are planned to follow by 2030, aiming to connect cities like Mumbai and Pune in under 39 minutes.

The startup secured $2.25 million in a seed funding round in May 2023, with lead investors including Endiya Partners and Ideaspring Capital. The business model focuses on both aircraft sales and operational services, with initial market entry targeting cargo logistics in India's Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities before expanding to international markets and passenger transport.

Keywords: hydrogen-electric propulsion, VTOL aircraft, sustainable aviation, autonomous cargo drone, regional air mobility, aerospace manufacturing, hydrogen fuel cell, electric aircraft, Urban Air Mobility (UAM), advanced air mobility, zero-emission flight, long-range VTOL, heavy-payload drone, carbon fiber airframe, Type-IV hydrogen tank, hybrid propulsion, cargo logistics, passenger air taxi, deeptech, aerospace engineering, sustainable transportation, point-to-point travel