After HP, Skye Air Mobility Now Expands Drone Deliveries in Kolkata's New Town to Offer Healthcare Services

Skye Air Mobility, Gurugram-based drone-delivery startup, has expanded its drone-delivery of healthcare services in Kolkata's New Town area.

The delivery services include pathological test samples and life-saving medications. However, the deliveries are expected to commence in New Town within two to three months, with full-scale operations planned to begin within six months.

Expressing the potential of the initiative, Capt Eshaan Khullar, the associate vice president of Skye Air Mobility, said, "Drones will significantly reduce delivery times compared to conventional methods, providing swift access to essential supplies." For the same, the startup has partnered with housing societies of that area, to create essential infrastructure, incorporating specially designed 'skypods' functioning as secure mailboxes within the societies. 

These sky pods will serve as the delivery drop-off points for the drones, ensuring safe and efficient delivery operations.

Commenting on the same, Debasish Sen, chairman of New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), said, "This will be instrumental when minutes count in critical medical situations."

Further, the startup said, agreements have already been forged with 10-12 housing societies in New Town, and plans are in place to expand this service to other parts of Kolkata, including Salt Lake, and eventually to rural areas struggling with connectivity issues.

While orders for drone delivery will be facilitated through food aggregators and e-commerce platforms, adherence to permissions and regulations set forth by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and associated agencies remains a priority, said the startup.

As shared by the startup, its drones are engineered to carry packages with weights ranging from 500 grams to 50 kilograms. 

The primary focus is integrating drone deliveries seamlessly into mainstream logistics, particularly within the healthcare, e-commerce, quick commerce, and agri-commodity sectors, ensuring efficient and timely supply chain operations.

In a move, the company previously executed the world's longest Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) medicine delivery flight in partnership with Flipkart Health, covering 104 kilometers between Baruipur and Medinipur in West Bengal.  This reduced delivery times by 80% compared to other traditional methods.

In parallel advancements, Cipla has collaborated with Skye Air Mobility to launch drone-powered deliveries of critical medicines, focusing on cardiac, respiratory, and essential chronic therapies in Himachal Pradesh.

Moreover, TechEagle, a drone startup, too joined AIIMS Jodhpur to expedite the delivery of healthcare essentials, including medicines, vaccines, and blood samples, showcasing the expanding role of drone technology in healthcare.