BENGALURU: Logistics company Federal Express (FedEx) Corporation and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on Monday successfully conducted trial flights for India’s first intra-city drone delivery.
The project, involving high-speed drone operations in complex urban airspace, was conceived at the FedEx SMART Centre at IIT Madras. The trial flights were conducted between Electronics City Phase II and a site near Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, with approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Typically, this involves a 53-km road journey, which takes over 60 minutes. The drone flights took an aerial route of approximately 39-42km, covering it in around 21 minutes. Operations were conducted at an altitude of 120 metres, as per guidelines. Safety systems included an autonomous flight termination system, return-to-home capability and anti-collision strobe lighting.
Prof. Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy, core faculty member at FedEx SMART Centre, IIT Madras, said, “These trials represent a significant leap in our mission to create a sustainable and progressive supply chain model. By integrating advanced aerial robotics into urban logistics, we are moving beyond theoretical research to prove the efficacy of high-impact, future-ready solutions that can redefine the global logistics landscape.”