Imagine traveling from Kolkata to Chennai in just 3 hours for just Rs 600, an unrealistic scenario that may seem too good to be true. However, this could be a reality soon. Waterfly Technologies, a startup backed by IIT Madras’ incubation cell, has made this bold claim of revolutionizing travel between these two metropolitans.
Notably, the distance between West Bengal’s Kolkata and Tamil Nadu’s Chennai is more than 1,600 kilometres. Typically, flying this distance on a commercial aircraft requires at least 2.5 to 3 tonnes of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), costing around Rs 95,000 per kilolitre. However, Waterfly claims that its innovative Seaglider significantly reduces fuel consumption, leading to substantial cost savings and affordable ticket prices.
Kolkata To Chennai In 3 Hours: What’s The Technology?
At Aero India 2025, Harsh Rajesh, co-founder of Waterfly, explained the company’s plan to revolutionize travel by introducing electric sea-gliders, also known as wing-in-ground (WIG) crafts. Moreover, these vehicles will take off from water and cruise at a low altitude of just 4 meters. This will make the journey faster and more affordable.
Keshav Chaudhary, another co-founder of the company, shared the scientific principle behind this concept. He said that the aircraft will fly extremely close to the water’s surface, leveraging the “ground effect”. This phenomenon reduces wing friction and creates an air cushion, increasing lift and allowing the aircraft to fly efficiently even at low speeds.
Chaudhary also said that the manufacturing cost of their design will be substantially lower. “Because we do not fly at high altitude, we do not have to contend with low air pressure, meaning our aircraft does not need to be built as robustly. This reduces the cost of construction considerably,” he remarked.
He added that the engine of this aircraft needs to be powerful. “An aeroplane has to take off before the runway ends, but we have the entire sea. For us, the runway is endless, and this does not put undue pressure on the engine,” media reports quoted Chaudhary.
Timeline
The project is currently in initial stage. However, a 100 kg prototype will be ready in the coming months and by the end of 2025, a one-tonne prototype is speculated to take flight. The company aims to develop a 20-seater model by 2026, which can travel from Chennai to Kolkata, marking a significant milestone in the project’s development.
Notably, IIT Madras provided the financial assistance for this project. Additionally, the company is looking forward to securing funding from the defence sector.
Praise From Anand Mahindra
Businessman Anand Mahindra praised the project and said that IIT Madras seems to be competing with Silicon Valley in terms of promoting start-ups.
IIT Madras promises to rival silicon valley in terms of nurturing startups…!
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 25, 2025
Almost every week there’s news of a new ‘TechVenture’
What I like about this one is not just the promise of exploitation of our vast waterways, but the fact that the design of the craft is stunning!… https://t.co/UttbRFYQGW
“IIT Madras promises to rival Silicon Valley in terms of nurturing startups…! Almost every week there’s news of a new ‘TechVenture’ What I like about this one is not just the promise of exploitation of our vast waterways, but the fact that the design of the craft is stunning! Design Rules!,” Mahindra wrote in a post on X.
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