Ultraviolette’s answer to the global chip squeeze; The making of Indian flying taxis

Ultraviolette is trying to protect customers from the global memory-chip shortage. The Bengaluru company makes high-performance electric motorcycles, and memory chips have become a costly input. Its Founder and CTO, Niraj Rajmohan, said the company will not raise prices because of these higher costs.

Instead, Ultraviolette is searching for alternative parts, software, components, technologies, and manufacturing partners. The company is also relying on know-how from partners that hold stakes in it. These include TVS, TDK Ventures, and Intel. Rajmohan did not explain exactly which alternatives the company may adopt.

The approach may help Ultraviolette keep motorcycle prices stable while supplies remain tight. However, the shortage still creates pressure because RAM alone adds Rs 20,000 to a vehicle's cost. The company's response shows how electric-vehicle makers are looking beyond direct price increases, although the article does not confirm whether alternatives will fully offset the added expense.

Memory chips are electronic components that store data and support the software running inside an electric vehicle. They matter because an EV depends on software to coordinate many operations. Without sufficient memory, the vehicle's electronic systems cannot reliably handle the information and instructions they need.

The article identifies three main uses: storing data, running control software, and managing real-time operations across critical systems. RAM, or random access memory, is one important type. It helps systems work with information during operation, making it part of the vehicle's electronic foundation rather than an optional add-on.

This importance also makes memory shortages expensive for manufacturers. Ultraviolette's Founder and CTO, Niraj Rajmohan, said RAM alone adds Rs 20,000 to a vehicle's cost. If supplies remain constrained, makers must search for alternative parts, software, technologies, or suppliers while preserving the vehicle's essential functions.

RAM alone can add Rs 20,000 to the cost of an electric vehicle. That figure comes from Niraj Rajmohan, Ultraviolette's Founder and CTO, as the global memory-chip shortage raises pressure on EV makers in India.

RAM is used to support the vehicle's electronic systems. Memory chips store data, run control software, and manage real-time operations across critical systems. Because these functions are central to an EV's operation, the memory component can represent a significant input cost. The article gives the RAM figure but does not break down the vehicle's total price.

Ultraviolette says it will not pass the higher input costs to customers for now. Instead, it is exploring alternative parts, software, technologies, and manufacturers. Its partners, including TVS, TDK Ventures, and Intel, may also contribute expertise. Whether these steps completely offset the Rs 20,000 pressure remains unconfirmed.

If manufacturers cannot secure enough memory chips, electric vehicles could become more expensive or harder to produce. The article establishes that RAM alone adds Rs 20,000 to a vehicle's cost. Companies may therefore face a choice between absorbing higher costs, increasing prices, or finding substitutes.

Memory chips store data, run control software, and manage real-time operations across critical systems. A shortage could push manufacturers to redesign electronics, use alternative components, adjust software, or work with new suppliers. Those changes could affect production schedules and the functions a vehicle can support. The article does not report specific feature cuts or factory stoppages.

The immediate response from Ultraviolette is to avoid passing costs to customers and scout alternatives. If supplies remain tight, other EV makers may face similar pressure. The eventual effect on prices, production, and features will depend on whether substitute technologies and manufacturers can meet the required needs.

An eVTOL aircraft is an electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The term describes the basic operating idea behind flying taxis: an aircraft that can rise and descend vertically, rather than requiring a conventional runway. The article discusses this technology through The ePlane Company, founded by IIT Madras aerospace professor Satya Chakravarthy.

A flying-taxi service could use eVTOL aircraft to move passengers between designated locations. Vertical operation could make the concept useful in places where runway-based aircraft are impractical. However, the article does not specify ePlane's passenger capacity, routes, flight range, or operating model. Those details should not be assumed.

The ePlane Company is targeting commercialisation for 2028. Its plan is presented as a test for India's maturing deeptech ecosystem. Before that, the company must avoid the technology trap by focusing on real-world demand, rather than becoming absorbed in complex physics or technical fascination.

ePlane is planning a phased commercial rollout because aviation ventures can face serious economic traps. Rather than launching a flying taxi service all at once, the company wants to build toward commercialisation in stages. This approach connects the technology to actual demand and business realities.

Professor Satya Chakravarthy said deeptech founders must avoid the technology trap. They should not become lost in complex physics or personal technical fascination. They must ask whether people truly care about the product. A phased rollout can provide room to test that question, manage development, and adjust before committing to a full launch.

The ePlane Company is targeting commercialisation for 2028. The article does not describe each phase, its aircraft specifications, or its routes. It does identify ePlane as a critical test case for India's maturing deeptech ecosystem, especially as the company tries to avoid the economic problems that affected rival aviation ventures.

Deeptech companies solve difficult technical problems, but technical achievement alone does not guarantee a successful product. Founders must test whether people want the product, can afford it, and can use it safely. They must also examine whether the required infrastructure exists. These checks connect engineering work to real-world value.

At TechSparks 2026, Satya Chakravarthy warned against the technology trap. Entrepreneurs can become absorbed in complex physics or personal technical fascination. His advice was to ask whether anyone truly cares about the product. For an eVTOL service, the wider question also includes safe operations, affordable use, and systems able to support commercial deployment.

Testing these conditions early can reveal weak demand or practical barriers before a major launch. ePlane is using a phased rollout, with commercialisation targeted for 2028, partly to avoid economic traps that affected rival aviation ventures. The article presents this as a test for India's maturing deeptech ecosystem.