CHENNAI: In a first in India, global transportation giant Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) successfully completed intra-city drone delivery trials in Bengaluru, marking a significant step in urban logistics and technology-led supply chains.
Conducted under the FedEx SMART Centre at IIT-M, the trials validated a mid-mile aerial logistics corridor linking Electronic City Phase II with a site near Bengaluru international airport. The exercise tested high-speed drone operations in dense urban airspace, assessing their potential to cut transit time and reduce dependence on congested roads.
According to the study, a 53-km road journey, which usually takes more than 60 minutes, was replaced by a 39–42 km aerial route, bringing one-way delivery time down to about 21 minutes. The flights operated at 120 metres and navigated designated airport zones with approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said a statement from the institute.
Nitin Navneet Tatiwala, Vice President at FedEx, said the milestone reflects the company's push towards future-ready, resilient, and sustainable supply chain ecosystems through innovation in air cargo, electric mobility, and demand forecasting.
Prof Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy of IIT-M said the trials helped move beyond theory to demonstrate high-impact, future-ready solutions in logistics. Prof Arshinder Kaur added that the initiative underscores the centre's focus on accelerating advanced supply chain technologies.
The trials were implemented by Amber Wings, a deep-tech start-up incubated at IIT-M, with safety systems including autonomous termination, return-to-home, and anti-collision features.