Amaravati/New Delhi, June 25: The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with Bengaluru-based aerospace company, Airbound, to launch a large-scale drone delivery network across the Amaravati Capital Region, targeting 10,000 drone flights a day to expedite the movement of healthcare supplies, commercial goods and other critical consignments.
The agreement, signed between Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation (APDC) and Airbound, seeks to develop one of the world’s largest commercial drone delivery ecosystems while strengthening future-ready logistics infrastructure and positioning Andhra Pradesh as a global drone hub, according to a company statement.
“The MoU envisages the development of a large-scale drone delivery network across the Amaravati Capital Region, with both partners targeting 10,000 drone flights a day to strengthen logistics and accelerate the movement of healthcare supplies, commercial goods and other critical consignments,” said Airbound Founder and Chief Executive Officer Naman Pushp in a press release.
The MoU was signed by APDC Managing Director and Chairman Geetanjali Sharma and Pushp in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.
Under the proposed Amaravati Capital Region Drone Delivery Network (ACR DDN), Airbound will collaborate with stakeholders across the healthcare, logistics and e-commerce sectors to connect Amaravati, Vijayawada and Guntur region through drone operations.
The initiative is expected to commence with operations in Guntur before being scaled up across the state over the coming year, he said.
Pushp said the network will be powered by the company’s blended-wing-body tailsitter aircraft built using lightweight carbon fibre, adding that weighing 1.5 kg, the aircraft offers a payload-to-weight ratio of 1.5:1 compared with the industry standard of 4:1, enabling deliveries at costs of up to 20 times lower than conventional logistics methods.
The collaboration is expected to improve mid-mile connectivity and operational efficiency across urban and semi-urban regions while creating investment opportunities, fostering ecosystem development, generating employment and accelerating innovation in Andhra Pradesh’s emerging drone economy.
Pushp said the partnership seeks to transform logistics by building a shared drone delivery infrastructure where drones move individual packages directly between destinations, making Amaravati, Vijayawada and Guntur a model for scalable aerial logistics that could be replicated across the country.
The phased rollout will include pilot operations, route mapping, ecosystem partnerships, regulatory coordination and the gradual development of interconnected drone corridors across the Amaravati Capital Region.
The CEO said the company has completed over 1,000 healthcare drone delivery flights with Narayana Health in Bengaluru and more than 10,000 flights overall as part of its efforts to develop scalable aerial logistics solutions for commercial applications in India.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister said the collaboration demonstrated India’s capabilities in next-generation aviation and reflected how indigenous technology could generate connectivity, employment and economic growth.
“By partnering with a home-grown company to build one of the world’s largest drone delivery networks, Andhra Pradesh is demonstrating that cutting-edge technology can be designed, built, and scaled in India, delivering real connectivity, jobs, and growth for our people,” said Naidu.
Similarly, Sharma said the partnership would lay the foundation for a new logistics architecture in Andhra Pradesh by leveraging Airbound’s drone delivery technology.
She said Airbound’s technology, combined with the state’s focus on advanced infrastructure, would enable residents and businesses across Amaravati, Vijayawada and Guntur to benefit from drone-enabled services, adding that the partnership aims to make Andhra Pradesh one of the world’s best places to build, test and scale next-generation logistics. (PTI)
