Blue Dart begins drone deliveries for couriers in partnership with Skye Air

Drone delivery is a major step towards sustainable, swift, and eco-friendly solutions, Blue Dart said

Blue Dart, a courier and integrated express package distribution company has successfully launched drone deliveries in collaboration with Skye Air, a pioneer in drone technology, the company said in an exchange filing.

Blue Dart plans to leverage this drone technology to improve its logistics. This move is also a major step towards cleaner and more efficient delivery solutions.

Building on their Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) trials in Vikarabad, Hyderabad, in September 2021, and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) trials under the Telangana government's 'Medicine from the Sky' initiative.

Initially focusing on the expanding e-commerce sector, this approach aims to revolutionise last-mile delivery by offering same-day delivery for shipments, significantly reducing delivery time and environmental impact, the company said.

Regarding this initiative, Balfour Manuel, managing director of Blue Dart, stated, "The logistics sector in India is experiencing an exhilarating phase. The nation's robust economic growth, coupled with the aspirations of its consumers and growth in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities, has significantly boosted purchasing power. This surge in demand emphasises the need for innovative solutions that drive growth while ensuring efficiency and sustainability. As we witness the marvel of drone technology, we eagerly anticipate extending this service further, with plans to cover additional pin codes in subsequent stages with our partners."

The announcement did not specify locations where drone deliveries would be available, nor package size or weights that fall into this new service.

This news follows a day after Skye Air CEO Ankit Kumar announced drone deliveries in Gurugram. In the announcement, Kumar emphasised that with drones now traversing the cityscape, they would be able to circumvent traffic congestion and environmental issues. Highlighting the transformative impact, Kumar noted that drones are revolutionising urban logistics by offering swift, eco-friendly, and precise delivery services.

"We started with two drones and now our company has 30 drones. If you compare it with traditional methods, drones have countless advantages, especially in busy urban areas like Gurugram," said Skye Air's Kumar. "First of all, drone delivery provides fast and efficient services as it is able to easily bypass traffic. This not only reduces delivery time but also eliminates traffic congestion and carbon emissions, promoting a sustainable and environmentally friendly logistics solution," Kumar added.