Food will soon be delivered through drones in India

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

Food delivery is one of the great joys of modern society. We can order whatever kind of food we want and have it delivered to our doorstep to enjoy in the comfort of our own home, without ever having to lift a finger.

Until a few years back, food delivery was an only side hustle for the restaurant owners, but today it has grown as a complete industry in its own terms. And food delivery companies are pushing the limits and changing the delivery landscape, quite literally, from land to air.

Soon Indian skies may be buzzing with more activity than ever.

Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given permission to food delivery startups such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Dunzo to start testing long-range drones. The test is likely to begin in the first week of July.

According to a report, budget airline SpiceJet, Reliance-backed drone startup Asteria Aerospace, Zomato, Swiggy, and Dunzo are among the 13 consortia that have received approvals from the aviation regulator to test fly drones.

Last year, India announced its plans to allow experimental long-range drone flights. The tests are likely to begin in the first week of July. This will be India’s first step to developing local drone-based services.

This is landmark decision will soon change how food is delivered in India, as food delivery startups have been waiting for this decision.

Last year, Zomato successfully completed a test delivery, where a drone carried a payload of 5 kg covered 3 miles in 10 minutes, said Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato. The drone hit a peak speed of almost 50 mph. The food delivery chain aims to deliver food to the customer in less than 15 minutes.

“Fifteen minutes is only possible if we take the aerial route – roads are not efficient for very fast delivery,” Goyal said. Zomato had also acquired local drone startup TechEagle in 2018 for a faster and smoother delivery.

At a time when the world is looking for new ways for contactless delivery, the approval of drone delivery can prove to be a game-changer.

But many think something eerie and ominous about food delivery by drone. Imagine an army of drones flying crisscross in the sky. While the use of commercial drones is a complicated and unsettled issue as of yet, the idea of using drones for delivery is not going away.

Food will soon be delivered through drones in India

Food delivery is one of the great joys of modern society. We can order whatever kind of food we want and have it delivered to our doorstep to enjoy in the comfort of our own home, without ever having to lift a finger.

Until a few years back, food delivery was an only side hustle for the restaurant owners, but today it has grown as a complete industry in its own terms. And food delivery companies are pushing the limits and changing the delivery landscape, quite literally, from land to air.

Soon Indian skies may be buzzing with more activity than ever.

Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given permission to food delivery startups such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Dunzo to start testing long-range drones. The test is likely to begin in the first week of July.

According to a report, budget airline SpiceJet, Reliance-backed drone startup Asteria Aerospace, Zomato, Swiggy, and Dunzo are among the 13 consortia that have received approvals from the aviation regulator to test fly drones.

Last year, India announced its plans to allow experimental long-range drone flights. The tests are likely to begin in the first week of July. This will be India’s first step to developing local drone-based services.

This is landmark decision will soon change how food is delivered in India, as food delivery startups have been waiting for this decision.

Last year, Zomato successfully completed a test delivery, where a drone carried a payload of 5 kg covered 3 miles in 10 minutes, said Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato. The drone hit a peak speed of almost 50 mph. The food delivery chain aims to deliver food to the customer in less than 15 minutes.

“Fifteen minutes is only possible if we take the aerial route – roads are not efficient for very fast delivery,” Goyal said. Zomato had also acquired local drone startup TechEagle in 2018 for a faster and smoother delivery.

At a time when the world is looking for new ways for contactless delivery, the approval of drone delivery can prove to be a game-changer.

But many think something eerie and ominous about food delivery by drone. Imagine an army of drones flying crisscross in the sky. While the use of commercial drones is a complicated and unsettled issue as of yet, the idea of using drones for delivery is not going away.

Related posts