This Bird is now in the catbird seat

Droning on about drones might have been boring just a few years back. But with Kisana drones covering new agriculture answers under its wings (like crop health checks, precision agriculture, and topographic surveys by Garuda), Assam using these birds for wildlife conservation (surveillance and anti-poaching, in efforts with RMSI), drones being used for D-Commerce and even for crowd management (Jagannath Rath Yatra), it looks like this canary could finally be out of the coal mine and in a gold mine.

Some recent deployments and pilots affirm that drones have overcome many incipient struggles, such as adoption hesitation, practical implementation hurdles, and a lack of strong use cases. Imagine drones managing colossal crowds, last-mile e-commerce deliveries, and saving forests and what they nurture.

DTDC Express has announced the launch of drone-based deliveries to boost the management of approximately 155 million parcels annually.

New Skies, New Aerodynamics

Recently, DTDC Express announced the launch of drone-based deliveries. It has inked a strategic partnership with Skye Air Mobility to use drones to advance what is possible with its physical network of 16,000+ channel partners. The idea is to boost the management of approximately 155 million parcels annually with what it hopes would be an agile and hassle-free delivery that may also help with minimum carbon emissions and reduced traffic congestion.

“Compared to traditional methods, each drone delivery can save over 520 grams of CO2 emissions, significantly impacting the logistics infrastructure.”- ANKIT KUMAR, Founder & CEO, Skye Air

Consider how the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) provided a quadcopter to the forest department in Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, with the capability to track movements and enable quick aerial support when required. Notably, drones are also emerging as stronger answers than traditional monitoring tools to combat forest fires in many places like Silent Valley National Park, Kerala. And just a few weeks back, we heard about drones now handling congestion and crowds at an event as massive as the Rath Yatra.

So why drones, we may ask again here?

Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, Founder and CEO of IG Drones, argues that drones offer unparalleled mobility and flexibility, enabling real-time aerial surveillance over large areas. The company was responsible for deploying drones during the recent Rath Yatra.

“The ability to make real-time public announcements using drones also reduces turnaround time significantly when it comes to traffic management,” he says. Plus, they offer a good view of the event, allowing one to manage traffic flow efficiently, direct vehicles, and ensure smooth movement. He underlines that this technology also enables quick identification of accidents or disruptions, allowing immediate intervention.

As Abhishek Chakraborty, Chief Executive Officer of DTDC Express, shared during the announcement, “The partnership aims to address the evolving logistics landscape, driven by digitalisation and changing consumer behaviours, presenting us with an opportunity to redefine last-mile logistics in this country.”

As Ankit Kumar, Founder and CEO of Skye Air, further explains, “Each drone delivery can save over 520 grams of CO2 emissions compared to traditional methods. We aim to reduce the distance and time for last-mile deliveries, significantly impacting the logistics infrastructure.”

One big, stark, and strong factor helping drones take off is the use of other technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Global Positioning System (GPS), 5G, and facial recognition.

Whether responding to floods or handling a huge crowd during the Rath Yatra, drones are now being used with creativity and cross-pollination.

Whether responding to floods or handling a huge crowd during the Rath Yatra in Odisha, drones are now being used with creativity and cross-pollination. Sanghapriya shares how drones backed by AI and facial recognition technologies can wield greater power, practical impact, and on-ground impact. “AI enhances these capabilities by providing real-time data analytics, congestion detection, and automated responses, significantly improving crowd control and safety measures.”

It turns out that players are learning from their challenges, and these efforts are manifesting well in gradual but steady impact.

Sanghapriya reflects on the company’s exceptional experience with the Sikkim flood response: “Our timely delivery mechanism for any problems presented has been our biggest learning from working in the industry for so long.”

The company also conducted pilot-based testing earlier to gauge the efficacy of this technology and has previously performed crowd-monitoring at festivals. “However, deploying it for the world’s largest Chariot festival of Lord Jagannath is a significant milestone, as we handled traffic management for a whopping 35 lakh+ crowd along with over 6 lakh vehicles this year,” he proudly states.

Kumar also explained that the team started working in this direction because of the future scope. “We currently do around 2K to 3k shipments per day. We currently deal with last-mile delivery, specifically in Gurgaon.”

Many more possibilities are ahead, such as how residents of various societies are exploring drones to deliver various items, from medicines to groceries, efficiently. Managed by dedicated personnel, these pods can ensure that parcels are safely stored and retrieved, Skye Air shares.

How High Can They Fly?

Drones cannot be used in isolation and ignorance of on-ground issues. For instance, a lot can and should be learned from recent Marine Drive and Hathras crowd situations. Ask Sanghapriya, who says, “We have learned the importance of better crowd flow prediction, improved communication channels for real-time updates to the public, and enhanced coordination with ground personnel. These measures help manage unexpected surges and incidents more effectively. We’ve also emphasised the need for rapid communication and coordination with ground teams, enhancing our predictive analytics and crowd control measures.”

Kumar also highlights the challenge of keeping the regulatory authorities in the loop when obtaining permissions.

With all these factors taken into consideration and stride, drones will soon be seen in many more places and scenarios. IG Drones, for instance, is expanding into critical infrastructure monitoring, such as airports, pipelines, and metro corridors. The team is developing specialised drones for defence and high-value asset monitoring like diamond mines, leveraging AI for predictive maintenance and security.

“When it comes to traffic management, the ability to make real-time public announcements using drones reduces the turnaround time significantly.”- BODHISATTWA SANGHAPRIYA, Founder & CEO, IG Drones

“We have already secured a procurement order from India’s Ministry of Defence to supply drones for surveillance purposes. IG Drones’ Skyhawk, India’s first 5G-enabled drone, is already redefining aerial innovation for security, surveillance, delivery, and mapping.” The company also has its eyes on the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj and is pursuing advanced AI-driven crowd analytics and predictive modelling specifically tailored for large-scale events like the Kumbh Mela. It might entail the integration of facial recognition technology to enhance security and traffic management and tools for predicting and managing crowd behaviour.

So far, these initiatives are learning from their dips and crossing new roofs. “We have reduced the time by 40–50% in urban areas and carbon footprint by more than 70% across all working segments,” Kumar says.

Indigenisation is critical to using drones to solve India-specific problems and scale. As Sanghapriya avers, indigenisation is crucial for self-reliance and cost-effective scaling of drone technology in India. “While challenging due to the need for advanced manufacturing capabilities and R&D, it is essential to reduce dependency on imports and foster innovation within the country.”

It is interesting to see how the emergence of drone-testing and piloting infrastructure investments in battery life and long-range capabilities, as noted by some research firms, are also proving helpful.

Joseph Sudheer Reddy Thumma, MD and CEO of Magellanic Cloud, observed after the recent budget announcements that the increase in Basic Customs Duty on telecom equipment, particularly Printed Circuit Board Assembly, PCBA, presents a challenge for the drone manufacturing industry. “However, this shift underscores the need to intensify our focus on local sourcing and innovation to mitigate cost impacts and ensure sustainable growth.”

It looks like the flight path has just begun, and there are many possible itineraries. But these are not the feathers that will flock together. 

By Pratima Harigunani

pratimah@cybermedia.co.in