Andhra Pradesh's AP Drone Corp Partners with Airbound to Build Drone Delivery Network in Amaravati
The AP Drone Corporation (APDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbound, a Bengaluru-based aerospace company, to develop a scalable drone delivery network across the Amaravati capital region. The agreement marks a step towards building aerial logistics infrastructure in India.
The MoU was signed by Geetanjali Sharma, Chairperson and Managing Director of APDC, and Naman Pushp, founder and CEO of Airbound, in the presence of Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi on Thursday.
Under the proposed Amaravati Capital Region Drone Delivery Network (ACR-DDN), Airbound will collaborate with stakeholders in healthcare, logistics, and e-commerce sectors to enable drone operations connecting Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Guntur, according to a press release.
The initiative is expected to begin with operations in Guntur. Both parties aim to enable 10,000 daily drone flights across the state over the coming year. Supporting this effort is Airbound’s blended-wing-body tailsitter aircraft, built from lightweight carbon fibre, weighing just 1.50 kg and having a payload ratio of 1.5:1 compared to the industry standard of 4:1.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said that Airbound’s trajectory shows what India is capable of in next-generation aviation. He added that by partnering with a home-grown company to build one of the world’s largest drone delivery networks, Andhra Pradesh is demonstrating that cutting-edge technology can be designed, built, and scaled in India, delivering connectivity, jobs, and growth for the people.
