Dunzo Drones May Go For Trials This Month

SUMMARY

Dunzo received DGCA’s permission to go for trials in March this year

It will test out delivery of healthcare products, food and other packages

Even Delhivery has expressed its plans to infuse drones into its logistics

Hyperlocal delivery platform Dunzo may conduct its first drone delivery trials this month with the help of management consulting firm Alternative Global India (AGI). This will be the first step to turn Dunzo’s delivery dream into reality. The trials would include delivery of healthcare products, food and other packages.

Ankit Kumar, managing partner of the AGI, has confirmed that it has been actively working with Dunzo Digital as a consulting partner to create a roadmap for drone inclusion in their current system. For this they have also set up Dunzo Air Consortium with eight members with expertise in various fields such as unmanned traffic management (UTM), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, long term evolution (LTE), drone operations, 3D mapping and safety, insurance.

All members have certain responsibilities which they fulfill in the consortium, Kumar added. He also noted that the Dunzo Air Consortium has submitted all necessary documentation to the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and are awaiting flight clearance. The trials are likely to begin in July or August this year.

“We expect the trials to deliver immense data points which shall be utilised by Dunzo to create a proof of concept and safety cases to be further shared with DGCA and also to develop drone delivery models in the semi-urban and urban environments,” Kumar added.

The infusion of drones into its delivery system may boost Dunzo even further. The company has already noted an uptake due to the Covid-19 and the resultant lockdown. Speaking at Inc42’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ webinar, Dunzo’s Kabeer Biswas noted that the company has noted another uptake during the Covid-19 pandemic and become a ‘pipeline of the city’.

This growth has helped Dunzo not only increase its revenue but also create a loyal user base. The supply shock of the early days of the lockdown allowed Dunzo to rewrite unit economics, Biswas recalled. The company was founded in 2015 by  Dalvir Suri, Mukund Jha, Kabeer Biswas and Ankur Aggarwal and is backed by Google, Lightbox Ventures, STIC Investment, STIC Ventures and 3L Capital and others.

The Indian civil aviation authority DGCA had officially allowed Dunzo and drone maker Throttle Aerospace Systems’ to conduct experimental beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations for remotely piloted aircraft or drones by the end of April. However, they still required approval of the ministry of civil aviation, which would take another 10 days.

The government had sought the applications for BVLOS drone experiments in May 2019. Under this, almost 27 companies had applied to run drone tests, but only seven were shortlisted. Besides Dunzo and Throttle Aerospace, the five other companies shortlisted include Zomato, Swiggy, Zipline, Redwing and Honeywell.

Even logistics unicorn Delhivery is looking to enhance its delivery services by infusing electric vehicles (EV) and drones. The company had announced its plan at Nasscom Product Conclave on November 5, 2019.

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
Unlock 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
Unlock 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

Dunzo Drones May Go For Trials This Month-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

Dunzo Drones May Go For Trials This Month-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

Dunzo Drones May Go For Trials This Month-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

Dunzo Drones May Go For Trials This Month-Inc42 Media
Dunzo Drones May Go For Trials This Month-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company