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Industry Report
Pharma Logistics

Will drone

delivery be

the next big

thing for

Pharma

Logistics in 2022?

During the pandemic, with limited access to transport and man-power, the challenges certainly
gave rise to new opportunities and medicine, vaccines began to be delivered by drones. With
the strengths in innovation, information technology and huge domestic demand, the government
believes India has the potential to be a global drone hub by 2030 while some industry players
have contradicting views about drone deliveries of pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

Zinal Dedhia

he Covid-19 pandemic affected “On a positive note, drones are very The ministry of civil aviation (MoCA)
many sectors and industries exciting because it's definitely a very in July 2021 announced updated drone
worldwide, but one industry good technology to use and to get into rules for the development of drone
Tthat witnessed growth amid the places. But my question is, in today's corridors for cargo deliveries. “Coverage
crisis is the pharmaceutical industry. India, where every village is connected, of drones under Drone Rules, 2021
The landscape of the Indian do we require a drone? It has a increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This
healthcare sector is a unique one. maximum capacity of around 150 to 200 will cover drone taxis also,” reads the
On one hand, rapid digitization and kilometers. But do we have enough air announcement.
technological transformations are space available? The issue I foresee is “Well, to be honest, we are not yet up
redefining the urban healthcare space. more drones in the air, more accidents to that stage and those requirements that
On the other hand, there is a rural and more danger to human lives. And may happen for the developed countries,
populace that lives in hard-to-reach there are going to be more collisions. but when it comes to India, where there
areas with no access to even primary Even drones are made up of plastic is a need and where there is a demand,
healthcare facilities. and metals, which is going to add to these things should be fulfilled. So if
The concept of on-demand drone the waste in the industry. So I think EV things drastically change, if the human
delivery has become the country’s (electric vehicle) is a better option than tangibility and the perceptions change,
revolutionary innovation that can provide drone, because what we really need to probably then we will have to bring up
equal healthcare access to save and do is we need to save the earth with drones and robots in place and they
improve lives. But will drone delivery all the climate change happening,” will work on behalf of human beings. I
innovation for pharmaceuticals have a Arnold George, general manager, TPC believe we will look at a full-fledged drone
future in India? Packaging, a GCCS Australia subsidiary. delivery and technology in the next ten

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