Logistics Unicorn Shiprocket To Begin Drone Deliveries In Gurugram

Logistics unicorn Shiprocket has tied up with drone delivery startup Skye Air to deliver shipments via drones.

With this partnership, Shiprocket aims to enable faster order fulfilment by beating urban traffic congestion with the help of Skye Air’s autonomous drone logistics solutions.

Skye Air minimises disruptions to partner operational processes by integrating drones with highly adaptable on-demand interfaces, thereby enhancing shipping capabilities for both B2B and B2C operations, Shiprocket said in a statement.

The service will debut in Gurugram with over five drones. The introduction of drone delivery services will not only provide Shiprocket sellers the ability to offer same-day and next-day deliveries but also make the entire delivery process more efficient, eco-friendly, and customer-centric, the company added.

Commenting on the partnership, Saahil Goel, founder and CEO of Shiprocket, said, “Our collaboration with Skye Air represents a significant step towards achieving that goal and propelling the ecommerce landscape towards future advancements throughout India. By introducing drone delivery services in Gurugram, we are redefining the future of ecommerce and providing our sellers with a competitive edge in the market.”

Founded in 2017 by Goel, Vishesh Khurana, Gautam Kapoor, and Akshay Ghulati, Shiprocket functions as an aggregator of third-party logistics companies and works with over 17 courier partners including the likes of Delhivery, FedEx, Aramex, Xpressbees, DTDC, Shadowfax, and others.

Shiprocket reported a consolidated loss of INR 93.1 Cr in FY22 due to doubling of its expenses. The startup had posted a profit of INR 12.5 Cr in FY21. The startup’s total revenue, including its non-operating and interest incomes, stood at INR 634.4 Cr in FY22 as against INR 365 Cr in the previous year.

Meanwhile, Skye Air is focussed on streamlining drone deliveries as a mainstream logistics solution for healthcare, ecommerce, quick commerce, agri-commodity and other industries.

As ecommerce platforms look to shorten their delivery times, drone delivery has emerged as an ideal solution for last-mile deliveries. Drone-based delivery solutions are also less harmful for the environment as compared to land-based delivery systems.

According to a report by the WEF, with the boom in ecommerce, last-mile delivery is expected to grow by 78% by 2030. This could cause over 30% rise in carbon emissions in the world’s 100 largest cities.

On the other hand, the Indian government has been aggressively promoting drone startups. The Indian drone industry was valued at INR 2,900 Cr in 2022 and is projected to grow to INR 81,600 Cr by 2025 and INR 2.95 lakh Cr by 2030, according to a FICCI-EY report.

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