Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have successfully completed India’s first intra-city drone delivery flight trials in Bengaluru. Conducted under the research framework of the FedEx SMART Centre at IIT Madras, this milestone underscores a commitment to advancing next-generation, technology-enabled supply chains.

The trials validated a mid-mile aerial logistics service connecting Electronic City Phase II with the vicinity of Bangalore International Airport. By utilizing aerial corridors, the initiative successfully reduced a typical 60-minute, 53 km road journey to a 39-42 km flight, completing the transit in approximately 21 minutes.

Technical operations were executed at an altitude of 120 metres, featuring safety protocols including autonomous flight termination, return-to-home capabilities, and anti-collision lighting. The flights were conducted in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

“This milestone reflects the FedEx SMART Centre’s research agenda across air cargo optimization and sustainable supply chain ecosystems,” said Nitin Navneet Tatiwala, vice president of marketing, customer experience, and air network, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa (MEISA), FedEx. Prof. Satyanarayanan R. Chakravarthy of IIT Madras added that integrating aerial robotics marks a leap in creating progressive, high-impact logistics solutions.

Highlighting its long-term impact for Indian Logistics, Prof. Arshinder Kaur, professor in-charge, FedEx SMART Centre added, “The high-speed drone-delivery trials are a strong demonstration of the centre's commitment to driving innovation across modern supply chains and accelerating cutting-edge technologies.”

The project was implemented in partnership with Amber Wings, an IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech start-up.

###

SS/KR

 

(Release ID: 2253710) Visitor Counter : 275