On Thursday, Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched the state’s first heavy lift logistics drone, made by Odisha-based start-up ‘BonV Aero’, which can carry 50 kg across distances of up to 10 kilometers. The Chief Minister tried out the drone on the first day of the “Odisha Skill Conclave 2023” while he was there. BonV Aero is an IIT Mandi, AIC CV Raman Global University, Odisha, and NITI Aayog-backed venture building Electric Aerial Vehicles for Cargo transportation. Satyabrata Satapathy, co-founder and CEO of BonV Aero, during the event “Start-up has successfully completed a trial of this ‘RM001’ Electric Aerial Vehicle carrying 50-kilogram cargo at the altitude of 8000-10,000 feet in the Tawang of Eastern Command of the Indian Army forward post in Arunachal Pradesh. The next phase will be a high-altitude trial on 14,000–16,000 feet will be done. The startup’s flagship platform, the “RM002,” which can move 200 kg of freight over 40 kilometers, will be developed in the next stage, he added.
He added that these multi-purpose aircraft are particularly useful for moving any kind of freight or goods in situations where surface logistics are either unfavorable or time-consuming.
“If we talk about Odisha, which is particularly disaster,-prone and frequently experiences cyclones and floods. Additionally, it is significantly less expensive than the current alternatives, so it will help to improve accessibility and efficiency of logistics solutions, especially in the remote and hilly terrains,” Satapathy added.