Delhivery Showcases VTOL Drone For Faster Rural Deliveries

Delhivery, India’s largest fully integrated logistics services provider, today successfully completed testing of  its autonomous Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drone technology at Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. The showcase, held in the presence of Shri Shashank Mani', Hon'ble Member of Parliament from Deoria was executed by Delhivery Robotics India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Delhivery, which is designing and manufacturing the Logistics Drone.

The highlight of the event was a live demonstration where a Delhivery drone, carrying medicines, completed a pre-programmed 12km flight path autonomously. The mission, which would typically take up to 40 minutes by road due to infrastructure challenges, was completed in approximately 12 minutes, highlighting the potential of aerial logistics to transform last-mile delivery in India. 

“Uttar Pradesh is rapidly evolving into the industrial engine of New India. Today's demonstration by Delhivery in Deoria Lok Sabha is a testament to how technology can be leveraged to improve the 'Ease of Living' for our rural citizens. To promote Viksit Deoria under project Amrit Prayas with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, we are committed to supporting deep-tech innovations that create value, employment, and accessibility. We welcome Delhivery’s initiative to explore drone corridors in my Lok Sabha which aligns with our vision of a digitally connected and accessible district and an innovative Uttar Pradesh," said Shri Shashank Mani, Hon'ble Member of Parliament from Deoria

The drone showcased today is part of Delhivery’s prototype drone fleet  being developed using proprietary technology, designed to operate in challenging terrains and weather conditions. Capable of carrying payloads up to 5 kg over distances of 60-90 km on a single charge, the aircraft features a hybrid design—taking off vertically like a helicopter and flying horizontally like a plane for maximum efficiency. A new platform with payload carrying capacity of up to 20 Kilograms as well as significant indigenized content is under development and slated to launch in the future.

"Our technology is built for the realities of Indian geography. The ability to bypass traffic, and road infrastructure allows us to turn 'next-day' delivery into 'next-hour' delivery for urgent shipments. Deoria was chosen for this pilot because it represents the perfect use case—a growing urban center serving a vast, often inaccessible rural population," said Nikhil Ummat, Head of Engineering at Delhivery. 

Delhivery also highlighted the potential for job creation, emphasizing that the drone ecosystem will require skilled pilots, maintenance engineers, and ground operations staff, creating a new layer of high-skill employment in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.