India, Oct. 28 -- A glimpse of the future of air taxis emerged from an airstrip in Chandigarh, where Punjab-based aviation startup Nalwa Aero conducted an initial flight test of a scaled model of its box-wing electric aircraft. The model lifted off the ground, hovered in the air and demonstrated forward flight. What makes the test significant is not just the aircraft's electric propulsion, but also its unconventional wing design. According to the company, this is the world's first flight test at this scale to combine a box-wing configuration, electric propulsion and fully tilting-rotor technology.

Representatives and experts from organisations associated with defence, aviation and technology also witnessed the demonstration. Following th...