Raphael Thys
TechEagle, a Gurugram-based deeptech start-up building drone logistic services, said it has partnered with the Government of Meghalaya and Smart Village Movement (SVM) to carry out India’s first hybrid e-VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone delivery of lifesaving medicines. The collaboration is aimed at transforming the healthcare supply chain for hard-to-reach population.
A doctor at Nongstoin district hospital gave the medicine box to TechEagle team to load inside the drone. Upon successful loading of the medicine into the drone bay, TechEagle’s e-VTOL Drone AquilaX2 took off from Nongstoin District Hospital vertically like a helicopter and converted automatically into fixed-wing (like passenger aircraft) mode upon reaching the mission height. The drone cruised a complete aerial distance of 25 km at 90 kmph speed to reach Maweit PHC (primary healthcare centre). As soon as it reached the landing point at Maweit PHC, it converted itself back to rotary-wing mode to land vertically like a helicopter. TechEagle team unloaded the package and handed over the medicine box to a doctor at Maweit PHC.
“Aerial routes are the best possible way to access hard-to-reach places in hilly terrains of the Northeast,” said Vikram Singh Meena, founder and CEO of TechEagle. “Today, we are proud of the fact that TechEagle’s made in India Hybrid e-VTOL is solving grassroot problems faced by citizens living in the remote areas.”
TechEagle said it e-VTOL Aquila X2 delivered the lifesaving drugs successfully to a 25km distance in less than 25 minutes. Drones have the potential to improve the lives of 18,50,000 citizens of Meghalaya.
“We have reduced delivery time from 4 hours to 25 minutes,” said Meena. ”e-VTOL drone technology is going to leave a huge impact to enable better healthcare in the remotest parts of the world.”
The company said it drone delivery technology ensures consistent, safe and reliable distribution of life-saving drugs (medicines, vaccines, blood and other medical essentials) in several parts of the state with the reverse logistics of samples for quick diagnosis.
“Here the technology has been used for a very good cause. We look forward to using the technology in the long run,” said Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma. “Today we have used it for healthcare and in future, we hopefully will be able to use this in agriculture and other allied sectors.”
Tulenam Laloo, Project Lead, - Healthcare at Smart Village Movement, Berkely Haas, said, the use of drone-based deliveries in healthcare is a promising means to augment supply chain management and support last-mile access.
“Meghalaya and other North-Eastern states would immensely benefit from its application, considering the unique terrain,” said Tulenam Laloo. “The use case to be studied through TechEagle’s trial at West Khasi Hills District shall be something that we shall look forward to.”