Union Civil Aviation Minister K R Mohan Naidu witnesses the signing of an MoU between APDC Chairperson and Managing Director Geetanjali Sharma and Airbound Founder and CEO Naman Pushp in New Delhi

Bangalore-based aerospace company Airbound has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation to establish a scalable drone delivery network across the Amaravati Capital Region, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

The agreement was formalised in New Delhi on Thursday, with APDC Chairperson and Managing Director Geetanjali Sharma and Airbound Founder and CEO Naman Pushp signing the pact in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.

The initiative forms part of the Amaravati Capital Region Drone Delivery Network, which aims to integrate logistics with healthcare, e-commerce, and commercial stakeholders while connecting Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Guntur.

Pilot operations are scheduled to begin in Guntur, with the ambitious target of achieving 10,000 daily drone flights across Andhra Pradesh within the next year. If realised, this scale of operations would place Andhra Pradesh among the largest commercial drone networks globally.

At the heart of this network is Airbound’s proprietary blended-wing-body tailsitter aircraft. Constructed from lightweight carbon fibre and weighing just 1.5 kilograms, the UAV achieves an efficient payload-to-weight ratio of 1.5:1, a significant improvement over the conventional industry standard of 4:1.

This design innovation allows delivery costs to be reduced up to twenty times compared to traditional methods, lowering transit expenses to as little as 10 paisa per kilometre.

The Civil Aviation Minister emphasised that Airbound’s trajectory demonstrates India’s sovereign capabilities in next-generation aviation. He noted that the domestic development and scaling of such advanced technology will foster real connectivity, generate high-skilled employment, and contribute to economic growth. His remarks underscored the strategic importance of indigenous aerospace innovation in strengthening national infrastructure.

Geetanjali Sharma highlighted that the partnership is laying the foundations of a new logistics architecture for Andhra Pradesh. She stressed that combining Airbound’s technology with the State’s infrastructure will ensure that local businesses and residents benefit from drone-enabled services at an early stage, advancing the vision of making Andhra Pradesh a premier global destination for innovation and commerce.

Naman Pushp explained that the initiative fundamentally redefines the economics of freight movement. Rather than relying on traditional logistics centred around large vehicles, Airbound intends to create an open-source grid where autonomous drones transport single packages point-to-point with the efficiency of a 20-tonne truck. This model represents a radical shift in logistics philosophy, prioritising decentralisation and cost-effectiveness.

The network will also accelerate emergency healthcare transits, building on Airbound’s proven track record of executing over 1,000 medical flights for Narayana Health in Bangalore. The company will undertake route mapping and regulatory coordination to establish interconnected drone corridors across the capital region, ensuring seamless integration with existing infrastructure and compliance with aviation regulations.

This collaboration between Airbound and APDC is a landmark development in India’s drone ecosystem. It signals a decisive move towards building scalable aerial logistics infrastructure, combining technological innovation with strategic vision to reshape the future of transportation and connectivity in Andhra Pradesh and beyond.

Agencies