Overview
- The Department of Posts announced Saturday that it has operationalised a drone route between Mandi and the hilltop Rehardhar post office as the first live test of drone mail transmission.
- Postal officials said the drone cut a route that takes over two hours by road to roughly seven minutes one way and completed automated round trips in under 20 minutes.
- A test conducted with drone logistics firm Skye Air covered a 12 km road route (about 6 km straight line) with outward legs of about six minutes and return legs of about 12 minutes while carrying accumulated parcels.
- Skye Air has deployed an initial local fleet to Mandi and described the aircraft as having roughly a 10 kg payload and a 30–50 km operational range, supporting collection and delivery in otherwise inaccessible spots.
- The department plans to roll the model out to about 150 identified routes in Himachal and Assam over the next two to three months, building on earlier agricultural drone work and promising faster deliveries, real‑time tracking, lower emissions, and better access for remote communities while regulators and logistics arrangements are finalised.