AHMEDABAD: On Sunday, May 29, the Department of Posts, Government of India delivered mail using a drone for the first time. It was done as part of a pilot project in Kutch district of Gujarat, where the drone covered distance of 46 km in 25 minutes.
According to a release issued by Press Information Bureau, the mail was sent by drone from Habay village in Bhuj taluka to Ner village in Bhachau taluka, under the guidance of the Ministry of Communications (MoC), Government of India. This pilot project involved study of the cost of delivery by drones, the geographical location between the two centres, possible coordination among staff during delivery process, and possible roadblocks.
Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State for MoC, on his twitter account stated that the mail delivered was a medical parcel. The PIB release stated that if this project is commercially successful, the postal parcel delivery services will soon become faster in the nation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, May 30, had inaugurated the “Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022”. He had said that the use of drones will rise in India in various sectors including agriculture, sports, defence, and disaster management.