Andhra Pradesh, Airbound target one of the world’s largest drone delivery networks

Aerospace startup Airbound has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation to build a large-scale drone delivery network across the Amaravati Capital Region as India’s push to modernise logistics through drones gathers pace.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu described the project as an example of India’s growing capabilities in advanced aviation.

“Airbound’s trajectory shows what India is capable of in next-generation aviation. By partnering with a homegrown 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,” the minister said.

If the project reaches its stated target of enabling 10,000 drone flights a day over the coming year, it could become one of the world’s largest commercial drone delivery networks, while offering a significant test of whether unmanned aircraft can complement conventional transport for healthcare, ecommerce, and commercial logistics.

The partnership will initially focus on operations in Guntur before expanding to connect Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Guntur. Airbound will work with stakeholders across healthcare, logistics, and ecommerce to develop an integrated aerial delivery network, while the Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation will support ecosystem development and regulatory coordination.

The phased rollout will include pilot operations, route mapping and the gradual creation of interconnected drone corridors across the region.

Explaining the broader ambition, Geetanjali Sharma, IAS, Managing Director and Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation, said, “With this MoU, Airbound is not just launching a new mode of delivery, it is laying the foundations of a new logistics architecture for Andhra Pradesh.”

“Airbound's technology, combined with our focus on advanced infrastructure, will ensure that residents and businesses across Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Guntur experience the benefits of drone-enabled services early,” Sharma added.

The agreement comes as India continues to encourage commercial drone adoption through the Drone Rules, 2021 and the Digital Sky platform, which streamlines drone registration and operational permissions. The regulatory framework is intended to support innovation while maintaining safety through airspace classifications, pilot certification and digital approvals.

Industry participants are also awaiting a wider framework for beyond visual line-of-sight operations, which would allow drones to travel beyond the operator’s direct field of vision and is regarded as an important step for large-scale logistics networks.

Drone delivery is increasingly being explored for medical supplies, diagnostics, emergency response and ecommerce, particularly where road connectivity is slower or more expensive. Government guidance for healthcare has highlighted drones’ potential to strengthen last-mile connectivity in remote and underserved areas, while emphasising that operators must comply with India’s regulatory requirements.

The Bengaluru-based firm said its logistics platform is built around a lightweight blended-wing-body tailsitter aircraft made from carbon fibre. According to the company, the aircraft weighs 1.5 kg, has a payload-to-weight ratio of 1.5 to 1 and can reduce delivery costs by as much as 20 times compared with conventional methods, although these performance figures are company claims.

The company claims to have already completed more than 10,000 flights in India, including over 1,000 healthcare delivery missions with Narayana Health in Bengaluru.

“Today, logistics is built around the movement of people and vehicles; our goal is to build a network where drones move single packages point to point with the efficiency of a 20-ton truck. When we make that work in Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Guntur, it becomes a template for how cities and states across India can treat drone delivery as shared infrastructure,” noted Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of Airbound.

The project also shows growing competition in India’s drone logistics sector, where companies are expanding trials and commercial deployments across healthcare, agriculture and industrial applications.