Blue Dart Express said that it has started the visual line of sight (VLOS) and beyond VLOS (BVLOS) drone delivery trials of Covid-19 vaccines under the Blue Dart Med-Express consortium in Vikarabad, Telangana.

The BVLOS trials, which are being carried out under the Telangana government’s Medicine from the Sky project, will continue on till the end of the week.

The Blue Dart Med-Express consortium is a part of the project in collaboration with the Telangana government, World Economic Forum, Niti Aayog, and Healthnet Global.

Balfour Manuel — Managing Director of Blue Dart Express said: “Blue Dart is championing future-ready technology; and collaborating with the Government of Telangana in its ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project, provided us with a perfect opportunity.

“The initiative is aimed at creating a robust healthcare infrastructure for last-mile delivery in the interiors of India, providing every individual with the healthcare they deserve. As we witness the marvel of drone technology, we look forward to extending this service across the nation and bringing the world closer to these remote areas.”

Currently, the Blue Dart Med-Express consortium drone vaccine delivery trials are using a multi-rotor drone for delivering Covid-19 vaccines from Vikarabad to the primary health care centre in Sidduloor.

According to Blue Dart Express, a total of 6-7 trials for VLOS operations, up to 1km, and 4-5 trials for BVLOS operations, up to 9kms, were held per day.

The drone, which is operated remotely, can travel up to 10kms in a single run, at 32kms per hour speed.

The unmanned aircraft systems can handle the specialized temperature controlled shipments of Blue Dart Express with a payload of up to 5kgs. They are said to be equipped to collect and deliver the shipment from the distribution centre in Vikarabad to the towns that require the medical supplies and vice versa.

The courier delivery services provider said that the task to bring vaccines and such emergency supplies to remote regions at dangerous heights and volatile terrains cannot be achieved easily without technology.

Ketan Kulkarni — Blue Dart Express CMO and Head of Business Development said: “Technology has become the backbone of not just the logistics industry, but of almost every industry across the world. At Blue Dart, technology continues to be an important pivot for our business and these drone trails are just the beginning of what we aim to explore.

“In line with our organization’s ‘First In Last Out’ policy, we have created these opportunities to contribute to the development of our nation while we achieve our business goals. Blue Dart will leave no stone unturned to make logistics in India remarkable and trustworthy.”

  Balfour Manuel, Blue Dart Express, Covid-19 vaccines, Healthnet Global, India, Ketan Kulkarni, Medicine from the Sky project, Niti Aayog, Telangana, Vikarabad, World Economic Forum