Explained: How Swiggy’s trials into drone-based deliveries will work

The company is set to begin using drones to make deliveries from its grocery service Instamart. Does this mean drones will deliver groceries at your doorstep?

Swiggy delivery executives wait for orders at Connaught Place in New Delhi.(Express Photo: Anil Sharma, File)

Bengaluru-based logistics and delivery platform Swiggy said that it is commencing deployment of drones on a trial basis to make deliveries from its grocery service Instamart. The company has roped in four ‘drone-as-a-service’ operators for these trials, which will be conducted in two phases.

Where is Swiggy conducting drone trials? Who will conduct them?

In a blogpost, the company announced Friday that it will start the pilot for drone deliveries in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru with immediate effect. This will be the first tranche of the pilot study that will be conducted by Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru and Skyeair Mobility Pvt Ltd in Delhi-NCR. This will be followed by the second tranche of the trials that will be conducted by a consortium of ANRA and TechEagle, and Marut Dronetech Pvt Ltd. The second tranche will commence after “collating the learnings from the first tranche”.

The drones will be used to replenish stocks between seller-run dark stores, and from a store to a common customer point.

Will drones carry Instamart deliveries to customers’ doorsteps?

Not yet. Swiggy is conducting the pilot to evaluate the feasibility of drones for the ‘middle mile’ use case. This means that the drones will be used to replenish stocks between seller-run dark stores, and from a store to a common customer point. A delivery partner will then pick up orders from the common point and deliver them to the customer’s doorstep.

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What are the regulations for drone deliveries?

The most important factor of drone deliveries — beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations — has not been allowed by the government yet. But last year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation granted conditional exemption to 20 entities, including Swiggy, the ANRA consortium and Marut Dronetech to conduct BVLOS experimental flights.

Are there other delivery companies involved in drone operations?

In India, several drone operators have partnered with state governments and other authorities to conduct trials of vaccines and healthcare supplies deliveries through drones. Logistics services company Delhivery in December announced acquisition of California-based Transition Robotics, which develops drone platforms. Globally, internet giant Alphabet’s drone delivery unit Wing recently delivered its first consignment in a major US metropolitan area by supplying boxes of medicines from Walgreens in Dallas, Texas.

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