Keypoints:
- The service of drone delivery of Covid vaccines will help in delivering crucial supplies to India’s remote corners. In April, the Centre had approved a feasibility study for the same.
- On behalf of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), HLL Infra Tech Services Limited invited expression of interest for delivery of medical supplies by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at selected locations in India.
- HLL Infra Tech Services Limited has made it clear that parachute based delivery will not be preferred.
Soon, people living in the remote corners of India will receive Covid-19 vaccination through drones. On behalf of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), HLL Infra Tech Services Limited invited expression of interest for delivery of medical supplies by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at selected locations in India.
The company has said that ICMR will be engaging UAV operators to operate beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) in fixed predefined or pre-approved flight paths and deliver Covid-19 vaccine. Proforma for interested parties has also been given to apply for it.
Specifications have been provided by HLL for the required UAVs. According to the company’s note, the drone should be able to cover a minimum aerial distance of 35km at a vertical altitude of minimum of 100 metres, take off vertically and carry a minimum payload of 4kg, and be capable of returning to home base.
The validity of proposed agreement will be for 90 days and it can be extended further based on the performance of the UAV operator and need of the programme, HLL further said.
This move comes nearly two months after the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) and directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) had granted conditional exemption to ICMR for conducting feasibility study of Covid vaccine delivery with the use of drones. For the project, ICMR has partnered with IIT-Kanpur.
Centre has said that the exemption will be valid for one year or until further orders.
Meanwhile, on Friday, e-commerce company named Flipkart said that it has partnered with Telangana government for the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines and other essential supplies using drones in the remote parts of the state. A six day pilot project will be carried out from Telangana before launching the “Medicines from the sky” project.
“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 also added that it will go a long way in testing best-in-class technology solutions to tide over future crises.
