BENGALURU: A pilot project on drone-based medical logistics has demonstrated how diagnostic samples can be transported across urban healthcare systems, significantly reducing delivery time and improving efficiency.
The pilot connected Narayana Health’s clinic in Chandapura to its central laboratory in Narayana Health City, Electronic City, covering a 4-km distance in about 10 minutes, far quicker than traditional traffic-laden road transport.
Over 54 consecutive days, the system completed over 700 flights, carrying up to 40 samples per trip with zero failure. The drone network replaced the earlier system of making four transfers through the road, with frequent, on-demand deliveries, enabling continuous flow of samples and faster diagnostics for patients.
Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, founder and chairman, Narayana Health, said, “This shift presents a massive opportunity to lower the cost of diagnostics and improve access. India could become the first country to dissociate healthcare from wealth within the next five to seven years.”
The pilot was carried out by Narayana Health in partnership with Airbound, whose founder and CEO Naman Pushp said, “Completing over 700 flights with zero failures shows aerial logistics is already reliable in real-world conditions.”
The partners now plan an aerial corridor between Electronic City and the upcoming hospital in Banashankari, with expansion across Bengaluru and to cities including Kolkata.