India Post & Skye Air Launch Drone Mail Delivery in HP, Assam

Mumbai, Jun 15 (PTI) Drone delivery logistics services provider Skye Air Mobility has commenced drone flight operations from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh under a pact signed with India Post for carrying mail bags in two states, including Assam, according to a statement..

The partnership covers 150 routes across Assam and Himachal Pradesh, where mountains and monsoons have long disrupted postal services, Skye Air said.

Skye Air's drones are capable of carrying up to 10 kg, operating in temperatures from 10 °C to 50 °C, and flying routes ranging from 5 km to over 80 km, cutting delivery times from hours to minutes, even when roads are impassable, the company said.

"Communities in Himachal and Assam need reliable postal delivery, their pensions, medicines, and government services depend on it. Getting flights airborne in Mandi within 72 hours of signing the contract showed what happens when policy, technology, and public service align," said Ankit Kumar, Founder & CEO, Skye Air Mobility.


Under the deployment, Skye Air will connect 110 locations across Himachal Pradesh and 40 locations in Assam, addressing long-standing last-mile delivery challenges in regions where difficult terrain, seasonal flooding, and limited transport infrastructure frequently delay mail and essential services, the company said.

Through its Branch Post Offices, the Department of Posts delivers financial services under the India Post Payments Bank, distributes welfare benefits under Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, and provides access to postal savings and insurance products.

"Drone se daak, ab gaon tak; an absolute pleasure to announce the launch of drone-based mail and parcel delivery by India Post on the Mandi-Rehardhar route in Himachal Pradesh. A journey that earlier took hours through difficult terrain will now be completed in just 7 minutes with real-time tracking," Union Minister of Communications and DoNER Jyotiraditya Scindia was quoted as saying in the statement.

What makes this environmentally sustainable initiative particularly meaningful is that it emerged directly from feedback shared by our Gramin Dak Sevaks and Postal Assistants during the course of several interactions, he said.

Through its Branch Post Offices, the Department of Posts delivers financial services under the India Post Payments Bank, distributes welfare benefits under Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, and provides access to postal savings and insurance products. When a drone lands with a mail bag at a remote Branch Post Office, it is not just carrying letters it is carrying economic inclusion.