Tata 1mg started a drone delivery service of medication, diagnostic samples, and other medical-related products on Thursday. The service aimed to provide fast delivery along the air route will offer easier access to deliver medical assistance in remote areas. Tata has launched the pilot service in a single city- Dehradun, in partnership with TSAW which is a drone logistics service provider. The drones will be used to collect medical samples from all over the city to transport them to the Tata 1mg for processing.
The drone is capable of carrying a payload of up to six kg, which means, it can carry up to 150 samples at a time. It can travel an aerial distance of 100 km. There will be a temperature management system for all the components used in the sample transportation including the drone. The drone will be equipped with a facility to monitor the temperature while carrying the samples to Tata 1mg lab.
Tanmay Saksena, Chief Operating Officer, Tata 1mg in a statement said, “Due to its location advantage, fast-developing economy, and robust infrastructure, Dehradun was a natural choice to expand our operations in the North. The city lies at the centre of our strategy to serve other underserved markets in the state, such as Haridwar, Mussoorie, and Rishikesh.”
Some other companies including Swiggy, Zomato, and Dunzo have announced plans to launch drone delivery services in India. Zomato has even completed test deliveries of food with drones carrying a payload of 5 kg that covered 5 km in 10 minutes. Swiggy is also planning to launch its pilot grocery delivery project in Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR.
