CHANDIGARH: For decades, the postman, commonly known as the daakiya, has delivered letters and parcels on foot, by bicycle and on two-wheelers. Now, he has got wings. Where the daakiya cannot reach, a drone will step in to deliver postal bags.
India Post has launched a pilot project in Himachal Pradesh to test the feasibility of drone-based last-mile delivery. Once fully operational, the proposed network is expected to cover 110 routes in Himachal Pradesh and 40 in Assam, connecting post offices across some of the country's most challenging geographical regions.
The Mandi-Rehardhar route in Himachal Pradesh is the first to operationalise the initiative. The route runs from Mandi Head Post Office to Rehardhar Branch Post Office. A conventional trip covering roughly 12 kilometres of mountainous terrain takes more than two hours. With drone-based delivery, the transit time has been reduced to just about seven minutes. After completing its journey, the drone landed at the Rehardhar Branch Post Office.
The Tiranga parcel was received by postal officials and later handed over to an Army veteran, giving a patriotic touch to the technology-driven initiative. The delivery was made on the occasion of Independence Day as part of the larger Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
The drones can carry postal bags weighing up to 10 kg and operate on routes ranging from five kilometres to more than 80 kilometres. They can also be tracked in real time. The initiative effectively takes dak to the skies, allowing it to cross mountains, rivers and difficult terrain and reach some of the hardest-to-access areas. If successful, the pilot project could significantly transform last-mile postal delivery in the future.
Sources said the initiative has implications beyond faster delivery of personal letters and parcels. Branch post offices in remote parts of India also provide access to pension-related documents, government communications, postal banking, savings, insurance and other essential public services. Delays in the movement of postal bags can, therefore, affect a much wider range of services for rural communities.
A senior official of the department said the idea was simple. For decades, letters and parcels have been delivered by postmen after postal bags are transported to branch post offices by vans and trucks through difficult mountain terrain. Now, these bags can be transported directly by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along designated routes. This could cut travel time and make the movement of postal bags more predictable, especially for habitations located far from major roads.
Sources said the focus on carrying dak by drones is not merely to cut travel time and ensure faster delivery. The UAV network is also intended to make the movement of postal bags more reliable and easier to track in areas where transporting mail by road is difficult, time-consuming and painstaking.
"The service overcomes terrain-related challenges while enabling real-time tracking and providing an environmentally sustainable mode of transportation. The initiative is expected to enhance service delivery, strengthen connectivity in remote and mountainous regions, and improve access to essential postal services for local communities, thereby fostering greater social and economic inclusion," an official said.
The initiative has been developed in partnership with Gurugram-based Skye Air Mobility, a drone delivery and technology firm founded in 2019. The company specialises in autonomous last-mile and hyperlocal deliveries and postal services using aerial drones and AI-based traffic management.
Union Minister for Communications and DoNER Jyotiraditya M. Scindia interacted with gramin dak sevaks and postal assistants, during which the need for faster and more efficient connectivity in remote and difficult terrains was brought to his notice. The pilot project took shape following the feedback.
"The journey of the Tiranga through the skies of Himachal Pradesh represents the spirit of a new India that is determined to overcome geographical barriers and reach every citizen," Scindia had said.
In Assam, the first drone-powered postal operations began from Hajo Sub-Post Office under the Guwahati postal division. Letters and parcels bound for Khetri Hardia Branch Post Office, located about seven kilometres from Dampur Branch Post Office and eight kilometres from Hajo, were delivered by drones. Nine routes covering nearly 82 kilometres have been identified from Hajo alone.