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Mint
02-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
This Bengaluru housing complex gets groceries via drones in under 10 minutes. Check details
In a first-of-its-kind initiative in South Bengaluru, residents of Prestige Falcon City are now receiving groceries, medicines, and other daily essentials through drone deliveries, thanks to a partnership between BigBasket and Skye Air Mobility, a drone logistics firm. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the service has been introduced to enhance delivery speed, improve operational efficiency, and reduce traffic congestion within the gated community. The drone service delivers goods in five to ten minutes, with operations running daily from 7 am to 8 pm. The cost to the customer remains unchanged. 'The delivery model involves a BigBasket storage facility within 5 km of the apartment complex. All orders for the community are routed through this facility. The drones, operated by Skye Air, have received DGCA approval, and the entire system is integrated for real-time tracking of drone movements,' said Avinash HV, Bengaluru Apartment Federation South President and a member of the Prestige Falcon City Resident Welfare Association, in a statement to HT. The drones are satellite-connected and fly along designated 3D-mapped corridors, with coordination from agencies such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). They are camera-free, making them neighbourhood-friendly. Deliveries are limited to packages weighing under 7 kilogrammes. A dedicated staff member stationed within Prestige Falcon City receives the drone packages and facilitates smooth handovers to residents. The system can batch multiple orders or send them individually, depending on demand. Residents have noted a visible reduction in internal congestion since the drones replaced frequent trips by multiple delivery agents. The environmental benefit is another highlight: drone deliveries reduce the travel radius and help lower carbon emissions, especially in traffic-heavy areas where aerial distances are nearly half of road routes. Ankit Kumar, founder and CEO of Skye Air Mobility, said, 'We are currently handling 40–50 orders daily, and in quick commerce, speed is everything. Our batching system boosts efficiency.' Kumar said Skye Air plans to expand its services to 20 more housing societies across Bengaluru within the next three months, targeting areas like Jayanagar, Bannerghatta Road, and Electronic City. To support the expansion, the company is working on establishing a dedicated Skye Pod Network—infrastructure designed to enable residential complexes to receive drone deliveries directly. Currently, Skye Air operates with two drones, but the firm aims to scale up to 25–30 drones to meet projected demand. 'A delivery rider typically manages 30 deliveries per day, earning about ₹ 800, while a drone can deliver 60 orders daily, effectively doubling efficiency,' Kumar said. The company also plans to extend the delivery radius of its dark stores from 1.8 km to 5 km, reducing the need to build additional facilities and saving both capital and operational expenditure. Despite its success at Falcon City, Kumar acknowledged the regulatory and enforcement hurdles. 'While we get airspace approvals from civil aviation authorities, one of the biggest challenges is dealing with ground-level enforcement, like informing local police under Drone Rules 2021. Navigating these local complexities is a crucial part of scaling,' he said. Real estate experts, however, remain cautiously optimistic. According to Gulam Zia, Senior Executive Director at Knight Frank India, 'Regulatory clarity from both central and state authorities is crucial, as the use of drones in public zones currently lacks a comprehensive policy framework. Infrastructure, safety, and airspace coordination remain key concerns. Some gated communities may adopt drones in pilot phases, but at present, this remains experimental.' He further stated, 'From a real estate perspective, its impact is minimal in the immediate term. Meaningful integration can only emerge once policies, infrastructure, and operational models are clearly established.' Kumar emphasized that drone delivery will not entirely replace traditional quick commerce logistics. Instead, it is poised to complement existing systems, especially as automation and sustainability continue to influence future urban infrastructure. 'The aerial distance is nearly half of road routes, especially in traffic-heavy areas. We are looking to expand the delivery radius of dark stores from 1.8 km to 5 km in future, reducing the need for more dark store infrastructure and saving both capex and opex,' he said. First Published: 2 May 2025, 08:09 PM IST
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
In Bengaluru, drones now deliver groceries and medicines to residents in under 10 minutes
An apartment complex in South Bengaluru now receives groceries, medicines, and daily essentials through drone deliveries. Prestige Falcon City association has teamed up with quick commerce platform BigBasket and drone logistics firm Skye Air Mobility to enable deliveries using drones within five to 10 minutes. Residents say the initiative aims to speed up service, enhance efficiency, and reduce traffic congestion within the gated community, which previously saw multiple delivery agents making frequent trips. Using drones also helps reduce the travel radius and lower carbon emissions. "The delivery model involves a BigBasket storage facility within 5 km of the apartment complex. All orders for the community are routed through this facility. The drones, operated by Skye Air, have received DGCA approval, and the entire system is integrated for real-time tracking of drone movements," Avinash HV, Bengaluru Apartment Federation south president and Prestige Falcon City Resident Welfare Association (RWA) member told Also Read: How will Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill impact the real estate sector in the IT capital? In this case, deliveries are handled by a dedicated staff member stationed within the Falcon City project, who receives drone packages and ensures smooth handovers to residents. Orders weighing under 7kg are eligible for drone delivery, and the system can either batch multiple orders or send them individually, depending on demand. The drones do not have any cameras, making them neighbourhood-friendly, and they operate with satellite connectivity. 'Each delivery takes just 5 to 10 minutes, and service runs from 7 AM to 8 PM daily. Importantly, the cost to the customer remains unchanged,' Avinash said. "Our main objectives are to ensure faster service, improve efficiency, and reduce traffic congestion within the gated community, which previously saw multiple delivery partners making repeated trips." Skye Air Mobility, the drone logistics company, plans to extend its quick commerce drone delivery service to at least 20 more housing societies over the next three months. The move aims to enhance doorstep delivery speed and efficiency through aerial logistics. 'We are currently handling 40–50 orders daily, and in quick commerce, speed is everything. Our batching system boosts efficiency,' Ankit Kumar, founder and CEO of Skye Air Mobility, told He said that the company is eyeing expansion into key Bengaluru neighbourhoods such as Jayanagar, Bannerghatta Road, and the IT hub of Electronic City. To support this growth, Skye Air is developing a dedicated Skye Pod Network—specialised infrastructure that allows residential societies to receive drone deliveries directly. Currently, Skye Air operates with two drones but plans to deploy 25–30 drones to cover demand to meet the expansion targets. Also Read: Bengaluru real estate: If your apartment's value has doubled, is it time to cash out now? 'A delivery rider typically manages 30 deliveries per day, earning about ₹800, while a drone can deliver 60 orders daily, effectively doubling efficiency,' Kumar explained. Additionally, drone delivery reduces the travel radius and carbon emissions. 'The aerial distance is nearly half of road routes, especially in traffic-heavy areas. We are looking to expand the delivery radius of dark stores from 1.8 km to 5 km in future, reducing the need for more dark store infrastructure and saving both capex and opex,' he said. The operations rely on 3D-mapped, designated flight corridors and coordination with agencies like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The company currently flies in green and yellow zones, with necessary approvals from government agencies where applicable, he explained. Also Read: Bengaluru real estate: One month's rent for a fresh coat of paint now the norm in the IT Capital's rental market Real estate experts say that while the idea of drone-based deliveries in quick commerce is exciting, its large-scale application across urban residential developments is still nascent. "Regulatory clarity from both central and state authorities is crucial, as the use of drones in public zones currently lacks a comprehensive policy framework. Infrastructure, safety, and airspace coordination remain key concerns. Some gated communities may adopt drones in pilot phases, but at present, this remains experimental," Gulam Zia, senior executive director, Knight Frank India, said. From a real estate perspective, its impact is minimal in the immediate term. Meaningful integration can only emerge once policies, infrastructure, and operational models are clearly established, he added. Kumar acknowledged regulatory hurdles. 'While we get airspace approvals from civil aviation authorities, one of the biggest challenges is dealing with ground-level enforcement, like informing local police under Drone Rules 2021. Navigating these local complexities is a crucial part of scaling,' he said. Despite challenges, Kumar believes drone delivery will not fully replace quick commerce logistics but will coexist and complement it, especially as automation increases and sustainability gains like reduced carbon emissions continue to drive adoption.
Mint
21-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Drone startups looking beyond defence to serve agriculture, quick commerce
India's drone startups are rapidly tapping commercial opportunities beyond defence contracts by expanding into healthcare and quick commerce deliveries, even as the sector struggles to scale amid regulatory fog, industry executives said. Companies like ideaForge, which started by catering to the Indian defence forces, are diversifying their client base within the defence sector itself, while others like Skylark Drones and Skye Air Mobility are consciously choosing to avoid government contracts altogether, instead betting on the private sector to scale faster. Ankit Mehta, co-founder of ideaForge, said that traditionally the firm wasn't offering drone-as-a-service—where companies rent or hire drones (and operators) for specific tasks rather than buying and operating the drones themselves. 'But now we are. We're building our own flavour of drone-as-a-service, which can be a really strong play for enterprise security and surveillance, as well as for law enforcement activities." However, Mehta pointed out that defence continues to remain their core customers. 'Diversification is important, but we're targeting different parts of the Forces themselves—whether it is for making deliveries within the armed forces or serving police and other law enforcement units." Mehta added that ideaForge is working on capturing a share of the US market, particularly in the homeland security sector. However, the recent changes with respect to import tariffs in the US have adversely impacted the speed of these conversions, he said. ideaForge's revenue declined by 80.6% year on year in Q3FY25 to ₹ 17.6 crore Some drone companies are preferring to completely avoid defence projects. 'Government in India is unfortunately not a very timely paymaster. You have to pay your employees and your vendors on day zero, but your customers might be paying you after six months," said Pushkar Singh, co-founder of investment firm Tremis Capital. Tremis Capital participated in the $4 million Series A funding round of Skye Air in June last year. Consequently, Singh explained that most drone companies are looking beyond defence projects to diversity their customer base. Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy, CEO of Bengaluru-based Skylark Drones, said the company didn't want to be limited to defence. "Most of our customers—almost all of them—are non-defence. We work only with private enterprises," he said. Skylark Drones' key clients include Tata Steel, Hindustan Zinc, UltraTech Cement, L&T and Reliance Infrastructure. 'We're currently not working with the defence sector at this point," said Ankit Kumar, CEO of Gurugram-based Skye Air Mobility, who added that less than 5% of the company's revenue comes from government-related projects. 'The real, long-term value lies in private sector adoption. That's where we see genuine traction. Today, less than 5% of our revenue comes from government-related projects." The rest of the revenue comes from partnerships and collaborations for drone-based logistics and deliveries, he added. In March last year, Skye Air Mobility bagged government contracts for medical supply delivery to 6 AIIMS hospitals and other regional government hospitals. 'Even when we work with state governments in healthcare, the goal is to use that access as an entry point—to open up those corridors for the private sector," he added. Skye Air Mobility plans to expand package deliveries across Delhi-NCR, after previously introducing a 7-minute drone service in Bengaluru, following on the heels of the quick commerce boom. Kumar added that they are currently focused on providing drone delivery services to enterprise clients rather than individual customers. Chennai-based Dhaksha Unmanned Systems, which is owned by Coromandel Industries, is looking to expand the use of its drone technology for farm applications over the next two years, including pesticide and fertiliser spraying through drones, Mint reported in March. Dhaksha had a greater proportion of defence contracts earlier, which is shrinking now. Investors are excited about the potential applications of drones too. 'We're seeing a wave of highly specific enterprise applications of drones, especially in critical industries like oil & gas, power, and mining. Drones make hazardous inspections safer and faster, while also monitoring transmission lines and enabling predictive maintenance. These targeted use cases are driving real value and accelerating adoption," said Vipul Patel, partner at IIMA Ventures. IIMA Ventures, set up at IIM Ahmedabad in 2002, backed ideaForge as an early investor, and exited following its initial public offering in 2023. IIMA Ventures has also invested in Nabhdrishti Aerospace during its pre-seed round in 2024 and seed round this year. However, India's drone regulations remain fragmented due to overlapping authorities, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) setting national policies while state governments, local law enforcement, and defence agencies enforce their own rules. This has prevented some of these startups from scaling. Operators may get central clearance, only to be grounded by local authorities citing security or airspace concerns. This results in inconsistent regulations and the need for multiple clearances before drone operations can begin. With temporary drone bans like the one recently enforced in Mumbai — from 4 April to 5 May — operational consistency also turns out to be a challenge. The ban was implemented due to concerns that drones could be used for attacks, target VVIPs, endanger public safety, or cause damage to public property. Some Indian states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana—have set up their own drone policies, aiming to position themselves as drone-friendly hubs. 'Drone delivery as a service, especially in urban spaces, is frankly a daft idea because it's simply solving a problem that's already been addressed. The true potential of drones lies in last-mile connectivity to hard-to-reach areas and the scalability is more likely to be in logistics and supply chains, rather than in crowded cities," said Ajay Kumar, partner at Triumvir Law, a law firm. There are other hurdles involved while operating in cities. Sky Air Mobility's Kumar explained that out of the last 365 days, the company was non-operational for about 75 days because of national security restrictions like around Independence Day, Republic Day, and Section 144 imposed during elections and VIP movement. There were other days lost to bad weather such as heavy rain, high winds. Drones cannot operate in red zones, which are sensitive areas such as the Army cantonment, or around airports, that typically form around 6-7% of certain cities, though the exact percentage can vary. 'If you look at Gurgaon, 93–94% of it is green and yellow. The red zone is just 6–7%. We're not really bothered about that—we're focused on catering to the 93%," Kumar said. In February this year, the ministry of civil aviation told parliament that 86% of India's airspace is open for operations—classified as green zone. Also read | New drone PLI to focus on R&D, manufacturing, may leave out testing Yet, not everyone is convinced about the current trajectory of drone startups. Tony Verghese, partner at law firm J. Sagar Associates, pointed out the increasing wariness of hype-driven fundraising cycles among legal professionals and investors. 'Drone startups seeking high valuations despite lacking substantial revenue or intellectual property does create significant legal and regulatory concerns within India's investment landscape…," said Verghese. However, Skylark's Ramasamy argued that rather than rushing to regulate, the focus should be on enabling them to scale first. 'The skies are not crowded with drones yet. So, we should empower more drone flights first, before regulating them. We're still far away from the adoption of drones in terms of the number of flights taking off. Those who operate responsibly will comply either way—those with malicious intent likely won't follow rules, regardless of whether they exist," said Ramasamy.
