Drone Startup Tech Eagle Is Set To Start Drone Deliveries In Ethiopia

• TechEagle has partnered with an Ethiopian e-commerce company Addis Mercato to delivery of healthcare and other essential items.
• The drones are capable of vertical take-off and landing and precision navigation.
• Earlier in December 2018, Foodtech Unicorn Zomato was in talks to acquire the TechEagle. However, the talks fell through.

Gurugram-based drone startup TechEagle Innovations will begin beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS ) drone delivery of healthcare and other essential items in Ethiopia by partnering with an Ethiopian e-commerce company Addis Mercato.

TechEagles is currently is in the process of seeking necessary regulatory approvals in Ethiopia, and the two companies are planning to start this operation in the first quarter of 2021. This is the first commercial drone delivery service in Ethiopia. 

The development comes after the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, the country’s airline regulator, has very recently finalized a draft of the country’s first drone policy to ensure the safety and security of flight-related operations. Even India is not far away from getting drone delivery services as well.

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TechEagles, in its statement, noted that the drones that will be used to carry out these deliveries are capable of vertical take-off and landing and precision navigation. Besides this, the drones can also detect and avoid, visual identification and smart flight path planning with real-time redundant network connection, and scheduling capabilities.

Vikram Singh Meena, the founder of TechEagle, said “This solution would save human lives with faster delivery response time to emergency situations. While building the ecosystem, we believe in empowering the local youth with skill development, training, and creating new job opportunities for them."

The company believes that the on-site drone logistics network will enable the delivery of goods four times faster and at half the cost. Besides this, these services will also have a zero-carbon footprint.

TechEagle is also participating in India’s BVLOS experiments, where it is a part of a consortium called ClearSky. It has received the aviation regulator, DGCA’s, approval to experiment with drone deliveries. The consortium also includes telecom operator Vodafone, and food delivery company Zomato, among others.

Bengaluru based company Dunzo has been allowed to conduct drone deliveries as well. Dunzo is conducting drone delivery trials with the help of management consulting firm Alternative Global India (AGI).

Foodtech Unicorn Zomato was in talks to acquire the startup in December 2018 with the hope of setting up drone delivery circuits, with TechEagle’s design, to reduce last-mile delivery leg. However, the talks fell through in only a year and a half.

TechEagle was founded in 2015 by IIT Kanpur alumni Vikram Singh Meena during his college days. It works with a prime focus on custom-made drones capable of carrying up to 5 kg payloads. 

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