SiriNor, an India-Norway deep-tech aerospace and defence startup developing an emission-free electric jet engine is planning to conduct a qualifying UAV test flight in India by mid 2026.
The firm unveiled its 2026 roadmap at the Inaugural Global CleanTech Forum on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s 56th annual meeting in Davos. The startup was shortlisted as one of only a few globally, initially focusing on rolling out small engines, with a UAV retrofit test planned for India by mid-to-late 2026.
The programme is positioned at a critical moment for global climate action, emphasising clean energy, climate innovation, and large-scale collaborations between governments, investors, startups, and institutions. The Global CleanTech Forum brings together founders, investors, policymakers, and climate leaders to accelerate clean-energy solutions through curated access to global decision-makers.
Abhijeet Inamdar, Founder and India CEO, SiriNor, said:“Davos is the perfect forum to highlight a massive gap. The aviation sector plays an invaluable role in driving the global economy, but it desperately needs a reboot that ditches the emissions of traditional combustion jet engines.”
The aviation sector is predicted to contribute up to 20% of global emissions by 2050 as air travel demand grows. SiriNor is addressing this challenge with a 100% electric (no combustion), zero-emissions jet engine that is power-source agnostic, operable on existing battery tech today and designed to be compatible with hydrogen fuel cells.
The startup is backed by investors including Shell E4, Shriram, and Innovation Norway. It has so far signed 11 LOIs and MoUs across regional and international stakeholders. It recently secured a global patent in the USA for its unique tip-driven propulsion architecture, which is being scaled up to cover major aviation manufacturing hubs in the US, Canada, EU, and India.
SiriNor aims to license its technology and partner with established global suppliers for contract manufacturing. The engine is power-agnostic and compatible with both electric battery packs and hydrogen fuel cells, enabling adaptable deployment across aviation’s evolving energy landscape. SiriNor will now advance to TRL 7 testing of its 40cm x50 cm prototype, with plans to commercialise the UAV engine by mid-2026 with the goal of scaling toward commercial aviation platforms by 2030. The company’s staged approach from UAVs to regional aircraft positions it as a pragmatic, innovation-driven player in the race to decarbonise the aviation sector.