There was a time when people relied on pigeons to carry letters and urgent messages across long distances. Postmen and vehicles eventually took over. Now, in the digital age, that same role has been handed to an 'electronic pigeon' — a modern drone — in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district. India Post has formally and successfully launched a pilot project for drone-based mail and parcel delivery here.
The First Flight
The service began from the postal department's Mandi Head Office. From there, the first batch of drone-borne mail was sent to the remote Rehardhar branch in the Drang assembly constituency. By air, the one-way distance is roughly 5 to 6 kilometres, and the drone covered it in minutes — finishing in moments what once took hours.
According to Sanjay Kumar, Deputy Superintendent at the postal head office, delivering mail through this hilly, hard-to-reach terrain from the accounts branch by ordinary means used to eat up an entire day. With the Sky Air drone, the same mail reached Rehardhar in just 6 to 7 minutes. The day's outgoing mail was also flown back to Mandi the same way.
10 Kilos of Payload, Flights Up to 50 Kilometres
Subhash Dubey, an employee of Sky Air, explained the technical strengths of the machine. The special drone deployed for postal duty can lift parcels weighing up to 10 kilograms. On a single aerial trip it can comfortably cover 30 to 50 kilometres. It is also equipped with real-time tracking, allowing live monitoring of exactly where the mail is in the sky at any given moment.
Mandi's 10 Toughest Locations First
Mandi postmaster Neha Sankhyan said the modern facility is being rolled out at around 150 selected locations across India through Sky Air. In Mandi district specifically, the 10 most remote and difficult spots have been chosen for the first phase, where the company is running regular mail services with 8 state-of-the-art drones. The direct beneficiaries will be residents of snowbound, mountainous villages, who will now receive money orders, medicines and essential documents almost immediately.
How the Plan Came Together
Senior officials have welcomed the eco-friendly initiative. Notably, the scheme did not emerge from a desk decision but from ground-level feedback. It is the direct result of conversations top officers had with rural postal workers (Gramin Dak Sevaks) and postal assistants, listening to their suggestions and difficulties. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, India Post is now working to connect even the citizen at the country's farthest edge to faster development and opportunity through modern technology.
Quick Q&A
Which two points did the first drone mail connect? The Mandi Head Office and the Rehardhar branch in the Drang assembly constituency.
How fast was the delivery? The 5 to 6 kilometre aerial distance was covered in just 6 to 7 minutes, against the full day it earlier took by conventional routes.
What can the drone carry? A payload of up to 10 kilograms, with a range of 30 to 50 kilometres per flight.
How many locations are covered so far? About 150 across India, and 10 remote spots in Mandi district served by 8 drones.
