• Pilot enables up to 20 flights per day on a 4 km aerial route, completely replacing a batch road model of 3 to 4 transfers daily
• 700+ flights, up to 40 samples per flight, zero failures, operating on demand across 54 consecutive days
• Following the pilot, Airbound and Narayana Health plan an aerial corridor between Electronic City and Banashankari

The partners plan to expand aerial medical logistics routes across Bengaluru, with further expansion planned to the rest of the country, beginning with Kolkata

Narayana Health, a leading healthcare service provider 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.

Commenting on the collaboration, 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.”

“By partnering with Airbound, a pioneer in drone technology, we are effectively removing these barriers. Following a highly successful pilot program connecting our clinic in Chandrapur with our hospital in Electronic City, we have seen firsthand the “amazing outcomes” that high-speed, low-cost aerial logistics can provide”,Dr Shetty added.

The Road Ahead for us is ‘Banashankari and Beyond

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 Airboundintend to initiate a new pilot corridor connecting:

• The new Banashankari Hospital
• The Flagship Hospital in Electronic City

A Game Changer for Patient Care

“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.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Government for establishing a supportive regulatory framework that encourages such vital innovation. We also thank Airbound for their partnership in this journey toward a more efficient healthcare ecosystem”,Dr Shetty added further.

Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of Airbound, added, “Completing 700+ flights across 54 dayscan 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.”

The pilot also addressed a structural challenge in distributed healthcare systems. Historically, samples collected at peripheral clinics entered the laboratory system in scheduled batches, with frequency constrained by road logistics rather than laboratory capacity. By enabling frequent aerial transfers throughout the day, the laboratory now receives a continuous flow of samples instead of fixed courier deliveries.

The model also opens new possibilities for how hospital networks can operate. Clinics can collect samples closer to patients and send them rapidly to centralised, high-volume laboratories rather than maintaining full diagnostic infrastructure at every location. This allows hospital networks to expand access to diagnostics while improving operational efficiency and reducing congestion at major hospital campuses.

Over the next few years, Airbound and Narayana Health plan to expand the model in phases by connecting more clinics and smaller private hospitals, including those outside the Narayana Health ecosystem, to the centralized laboratory at Narayana Health City. This will allow healthcare providers across the city to access advanced diagnostic services without needing to build full laboratory infrastructure at each facility.

Airbound’saircraft use a blended-wing-body tailsitter design that combines vertical takeoff with the aerodynamic efficiency of fixed-wing flight, enabling lower cost-per-kilometre delivery compared to conventional ground transport while supporting frequent, repeatable operations across dense urban environments.

Following the success of the Bengaluru pilot, the partners plan to expand aerial medical logistics routes across Bengaluru in phases and eventually to other cities, including Kolkata being a key focus region for Narayana Health, while continuing to work with regulators as the network scales.

About Airbound: 

Airbound is an autonomous delivery logistics company reshaping the economics of drone delivery with a first-of-its-kind blended-wing-body tailsitteraircraft. With a carbon fiber frame and 1.5kg-to-1kg payload ratio, Airbound’saircraft delivers costs 20 times lower than conventional methods. Following a successful pilot with Narayana Health, Airbound is planning a nationwide expansion with Narayana Health and is working to disrupt traditional logistics across India. The company’s mission is to make delivery costs so low that roads become optional. For more information, visit www.airbound.com

About Narayana Health:

Narayana Health, founded by Dr. Devi Shetty and headquartered in Bengaluru, is a leading presence in the global healthcare landscape. As one of the largest healthcare providers in India, Narayana Health operates a comprehensive range of primary, secondary and super-speciality tertiary care facilities across India, chain of hospitals in England and the Caribbean. The group’s Centres of Excellence in various medical domains, a team of 18,822 dedicated professionals, including 3,868 skilled doctors and specialists, and a relentless focus on patient well-being and clinical excellence underscore its position as a beacon of hope and healing in the healthcare industry. Narayana One Health (NH Integrated Care) and Narayana Health Insurance are subsidiaries of Narayana Health.