Himachal: Department of Posts begins drone delivery of mail
New Delhi, June 13
Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Saturday announced that the Department of Posts has launched drone‑based transmission of mail and parcels in Himachal Pradesh, reducing the transit time to just seven minutes from two hours.
The initiative builds upon feedback received during Scindia's interactions with Gramin Dak Sevaks and Postal Assistants, where the need for faster and more efficient connectivity in remote and difficult terrains was highlighted.
The Department of Posts has planned deployment of drone‑based mail transmission across around 150 identified routes in Himachal Pradesh and Assam over the next two to three months, with the Mandi-Rehardhar route being the first to operationalise the initiative, an official statement said.
The Rehardhar branch post office, located about 12 km from the Mandi head post office, currently takes over two hours to connect through conventional arrangements. With drone‑based transmission, the transit time has been reduced to just about seven minutes.
The service overcomes terrain‑related challenges while enabling real‑time tracking and providing an environmentally sustainable mode of transportation. The initiative is expected to enhance service delivery, strengthen connectivity in remote and mountainous regions and improve access to essential postal services for local communities, thereby fostering greater social and economic inclusion.
In Himachal Pradesh, apple growers in remote and inaccessible areas have been transporting apples and other fruits from orchards via drones.
In the wake of the immense potential of unmanned aerial vehicles, the ICAR‑Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla has initiated work on the "Development of Drone‑based Potato Crop Management Technologies" at its regional stations in Modipuram and Jalandhar since 2020.
The initiative was undertaken in collaboration with Bayer Crop Science Ltd. India and General Aeronautics Pvt. Ltd., with the defined objective of developing precise crop management technologies for potato cultivation.
The project activity began in the first year after obtaining necessary permissions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the local administration.
Trials at two locations for two years on agro‑chemical (fungicides, insecticides and weedicides) spraying using drones have demonstrated increased precision and efficiency with lower water requirements, reduced environmental hazards and no phytotoxicity in potato crops.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Meanwhile in many cities, we still don't get proper speed post. But happy for Himachal's apple growers—they really need this. Hope the drones don't get tangled in power lines though! 😅
As someone who lives abroad, I wish my local post office could be as innovative. This is amazing for sustainability and speed. India is really pushing the envelope with drones—first for agriculture, now for mail. Kudos! 👍
I hope they extend this to other remote areas like Uttarakhand and Northeast. Good to see potatoes and apples getting tech attention, but what about regular people's letters? Still, a step in the right direction. 👌
Impressive initiative! Reducing transit time from 2 hours to 7 minutes is brilliant for connectivity. I hope the real-time tracking works well and that safety protocols are robust. Excited to see how this scales across other states. 😊
Good that they're thinking about sustainability and real-time tracking. But I'd love to know how much this costs per delivery—will it be affordable for common people in villages? Hope it doesn't become a costly gimmick.
Full support for this!
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