Air cargo firm SpiceXpress and e-commerce logistics platform Delhivery have come together to build drone delivery capability in the country.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by both entities for the project, pilot for which shall begin in the coming 3-4 months, read a joint statement.
SpiceXpress, which is the cargo division of airline firm Spicejet, is one of the key consortiums shortlisted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct trials on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drones in India, the statement said.
We are very excited about this project as it promises to be a game-changer in times to come. The MoU is a win-win for both companies leveraging their strengths to deliver great synergies.”
~ Sanjiv Gupta, CEO, SpiceXpress
The collaboration is an extension of our long-standing relationship with Spicejet. We look forward to leveraging our capabilities to revolutionize the logistics ecosystem.”
~ Ajith Pai, COO, Delhivery
As per reports, the technological testing for the drones delivery will be done for numerous commercial applications such as emergency services, delivery of goods, critical medical services, and environmental monitoring.
Logistics firm Delhivery will provide the necessary on-ground support to ensure speedy and reliable first-mile and last-mile logistics, according to the statement.
“Drone delivery is the future of logistics, and both companies have joined hands to experiment with drone technology to provide state-of-the-art services and make it more popular in the coming years,” the statement read.
It was earlier in May that the civil aviation ministry granted conditional exemption to the Telangana government from the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021, for ‘conducting experimental delivery of vaccines’ beyond the visual line of sight using drones.
Amid the pandemic, the ministry, in April, allowed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct a feasibility study on using drones to deliver COVID vaccines.
