Logistics major Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has completed India’s first intra–city drone delivery flight trials in Bengaluru.

The trials, conducted as part of the institute’s IIT Madras FedEx SMART Centre, validated an aerial logistics service connecting Electronic City Phase II with a site near Bangalore International Airport Limited. It tested high-speed drone operations in complex urban airspace and assessed their potential to enhance network efficiency.

The trail established that a 53 km road journey, which typically takes over 60 minutes, can be replaced by an aerial route of approximately 39-42 km. During the trials, this reduced one-way transit time to nearly 21 minutes. Operations were conducted at an altitude of 120 metres as per guidelines.

“Innovation is central to how FedEx enables global commerce. This milestone reflects FedEx SMART Centre’s broader research agenda across air cargo optimisation, electric vehicle integration, and advanced demand forecasting. Together, these efforts are focused on shaping future-ready, resilient and sustainable supply chain ecosystems in partnership with academia, industry and policymakers,” Nitin Navneet Tatiwala, Vice President of marketing, customer experience, and air network, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa (MEISA), FedEx, said.

“These trials represent a significant leap in our mission to create a sustainable and progressive supply chain model. By integrating advanced aerial robotics into urban logistics, we are moving beyond theoretical research to prove the efficacy of high-impact, future-ready solutions that can redefine the global logistics landscape,” Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy, core faculty member, FedEx SMART Centre, IIT Madras, said.

Published on April 20, 2026