Advertisement

Updated June 13th, 2021 at 16:25 IST

India may soon fly drones to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in remote areas; Govt invites bids

HLL Infra Tech Services Limited, which is procuring all vaccines for the Govt, has invited bids for the delivery of medical supplies by drones to remote areas

Reported by: Gloria Methri
AP/Unsplash
AP/Unsplash | Image:self
Advertisement

In a unique strategy, the Centre is mulling to deliver Coronavirus vaccines to the remote areas of the country with the help of drones. HLL Infra Tech Services Limited, which is procuring all vaccines for the government, has invited bids for delivery of medical supplies such as vaccines and drugs by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at select locations in India.

The company said that ICMR will use drones to operate beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) in fixed pre-defined or pre-approved flight paths to deliver the Coronavirus vaccine. HLL has also given the pro forma for interested parties along with the specification for the UAVs required.

According to the company, the drone should be able to cover a minimum aerial distance of 35km at a vertical altitude of a minimum of 100 metres, take off vertically and carry a minimum payload of 4kg, and capable of returning to home base. Parachute-based delivery will not be preferred for the same.

The proposed agreement will be valid for 90 days, and can be extended depending on the performance of the drone and the need of the programme, HLL added.

The government’s latest move comes nearly two months after the civil aviation ministry conditional exemption to ICMR for conducting a feasibility study of vaccine delivery using drones. The ICMR has partnered with IIT-Kanpur for the project. The Centre said that the exemption will be valid for a year or until further orders.

Telangana to use UAVs for vaccine delivery

Prior to this, only Telangana was considering the idea of vaccine delivery through drones. E-commerce company Flipkart on Friday said that it has partnered with the Telangana government for the delivery of vaccines and other essential supplies using drones in remote parts of the state. Before launching the 'Medicines from the Sky' program, a six-day pilot project will be carried out in Telangana.

"Using drones to deliver healthcare supplies to people in remote and inaccessible areas is a one-of-a-kind initiative ever undertaken in our country and we are happy to lead this initiative in collaboration with partners such as Flipkart," said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary (IT and I&C), Government of Telangana

He added that it will go a long way in testing best-in-class technology solutions to tide over future crises.

Advertisement

Published June 13th, 2021 at 16:25 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo