Food delivery via drones could soon be a reality in India; DGCA gives nod for trials

In an unprecedented move, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given a nod to Zomato, Swiggy and Dunzo to start testing beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) drones for deliveries. As per sources, budget airline SpiceJet, Reliance-backed drone startup Asteria Aerospace, Zomato, Swiggy and Dunzo are among 13 consortia that have received approvals from the aviation regulator to test fly drones.

Last year, India announced its plans to allow experimental long-range drone flights. The tests are likely to begin in the first week of July. This will be India's first step to developing local drone-based services. In May, budget airline SpiceJet said that it received permission to conduct drone trials. SpiceXpress, the airline's cargo arm, will focus on delivering medical emergency parcels and essential supplies including perishables after trials.

Last year, the popular food delivery startup Zomato successfully completed a test delivery using drones in India. The drone carried a payload of 5 kg covered 5 kms in 10 minutes, said Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato. The drone hit a peak speed of 80 kmph. The food delivery chain aims to deliver food to customers in less than 15 minutes.

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Instagram Launches Food Order Stickers With Zomato & Swiggy

Social networking service Instagram on Thursday announced its partnership with online food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato to support small businesses in India amid the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. Instagram also announced the launch of  'food order stickers' in India that will help businesses from the food industry to stay in touch with their customers.

The food industry is looking for ways to get back to business, as restrictions imposed during the lockdown are being relaxed. Through this initiative, restaurants can share Instagram’s new food order sticker on their stories, and users can tap to place their orders through the Swiggy and Zomato website.

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