Blue Dart Takes Flight with Drone Deliveries in India

Drone deliveries are gaining momentum in India. While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were initially used primarily to deliver medicines to remote areas, major players are now widely adopting this technology. Blue Dart, South Asia’s leading courier company, has launched drone deliveries in collaboration with Skye Air, a drone company.

Balfour Manuel, CEO of Blue Dart, stated, “The logistics sector in India is undergoing an exciting phase. The country’s robust economic growth, coupled with consumer aspirations and the rise of tier 2 and tier 3 cities, has significantly boosted purchasing power. This surge in demand necessitates innovative solutions that drive growth while ensuring efficiency and sustainability. As we witness the potential of drone technology, we look forward to expanding this service further and plan to cover additional postal codes with our partners in future phases.”

“This innovative approach, initially focused on the burgeoning e-commerce sector, aims to revolutionize last-mile delivery by offering same-day delivery of shipments, significantly reducing delivery times and environmental impact,” the company explained in a press release.

The logistics giant had already conducted successful visual line-of-sight (VLOS) trials in Vikarabad, Hyderabad, in September 2021. These trials were followed by further VLOS trials under the Telangana government’s ‘Sky Medicine’ project.