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Narayana Health and Airbound, a Bengaluru-based aerial logistics company, have successfully completed a medical logistics pilot connecting Narayana Health’s Chandapura Clinic to its central laboratory at Narayana Health City in Electronic City by air, demonstrating how aerial logistics can dramatically improve the speed and reliability of diagnostic transport across urban healthcare networks.
Running since January 2026, the 4 km aerial route is completed in just 10 minutes, compared to significantly longer road transfers dependent on Bengaluru’s traffic conditions. Over the course of the pilot, the route completed more than 700 flights across 54 consecutive operational days, carrying up to 40 diagnostic samples per flight with zero failed deliveries, demonstrating the reliability of drone-based logistics in a live clinical environment.
Before the pilot, diagnostic samples from the Chandapura clinic were transported to the central laboratory in three to four road transfers per day, with arrival times varying depending on traffic conditions. The aerial route now operates on demand and on schedule with up to 20 flights per day, allowing laboratories to receive samples continuously rather than in fixed batches. Within three weeks of operations, Narayana Health removed the road transfer entirely, making the aerial route the sole transport link between the two facilities. This allows the laboratory to begin processing sooner, helping doctors receive results faster and improving diagnostic turnaround times for patients.
Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, founder and chairman, Narayana Health, said, “Driven by the conviction that technology is the primary catalyst for reducing healthcare costs, we are proud to announce the expansion of our medical drone delivery services. As lifelong proponents of technological integration, we have invested significantly over the past 25 years in building a robust digital platform designed to deliver safe, affordable, and accessible healthcare to all. Redefining Efficiency through centralization of essential services - such as clinical laboratories and blood banks - presents a massive opportunity to lower the cost of diagnostics and transfusions. Historically, however, the twin obstacles of transportation time and logistical expenses have hindered this transition.”
Encouraged by the results of the pilot, Narayana Health is now preparing to scale these services at their upcoming hospital in Banashankari, scheduled for inauguration in the coming months. Pending final regulatory clearances and government permissions, Narayana Health and Airbound intend to initiate a new pilot corridor connecting its new Banashankari Hospital and the Flagship Hospital in Electronic City
“The standardization of drone transport for blood samples and life-saving blood bags will be a true game-changer, allowing for medical interventions at remarkable speeds. Our sincere gratitude to the government for establishing a supportive regulatory framework that encourages such vital innovation,” Dr Shetty added.
Naman Pushp, founder and CEO of Airbound, said “Completing 700+ flights across 54 days can only happen with two teams fully committed to the mission, and I am proud of what both teams have achieved. Narayana Health gave us something most partners would not, a real clinical environment with real consequences, and the trust to operate within it from day one. This pilot demonstrated that frequent, predictable aerial logistics is not a future concept and is running right now in one of India's busiest cities. Conventional logistics is primed for change. Our ambition is to build a new layer of infrastructure for commercial freight, and when that change comes, distance stops being a barrier to opportunity.”
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