How medicines ‘dropping from the sky’ are transforming healthcare in India

Delivery of medical supplies by drone is having a transformative effect on the lives of people living in remote and mountainous regions of India.

The World Economic Forum’s Medicine from the Sky initiative, a partnership with local healthcare providers, has completed almost a thousand flights – bringing much-needed medical supplies to isolated communities.

The first phase of Medicine from the Sky began in southern India’s Telangana state. It saw drones deliver medicines for 300 vaccine trials. Working in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals, Healthnet Global and think tank NITI Aayog, the Telangana test flights established a proof-of-concept for healthcare delivery by drone.

In the second phase of the trial, drones were launched into much more complex terrain in the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh. Despite the challenges that come with operating drones in high-mountain landscapes, the deliveries have brought dramatic improvements to healthcare provision for people in the region, reaching some remarkable milestones.

An assessment of the progress so far includes the following highlights:

One of the most striking outcomes has been the dramatic reduction in delivery times. Journeys that once took eight hours by ground transport have been slashed to just 22 minutes, as the drones fly directly to the customer rather than having to navigate dangerous mountain roads. This has cut emergency response times, saving lives in critical situations.

Flying medicines to patients also cuts out the need for patients in isolated areas to attend clinics to access drugs. In mountainous regions, such journeys can take days and cost thousands of rupees.

The project’s achievements have been recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for its innovative use of drones to enhance health supply chains in the region. Commenting on the award, Sebastian Buckup, who leads Network and Partnerships in the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said:

“The Medicine from the Sky initiative exemplifies the remarkable potential of innovation and collaboration. The pilot programmes in India, especially the Himalayan region, have vividly illustrated how technology can transcend geographical challenges, delivering vital healthcare products directly to people's doorsteps. The World Economic Forum is honoured to showcase this initiative as a powerful example of how technology-based solutions can address and overcome global challenges.”

Recognising the potential of alternative air transportation, ICAO recently held its first conference dedicated entirely to drones and other advanced air mobility systems. The conference issued a global call to action to speed up the development of these technologies.

Operating a fleet of drones in an isolated and mountainous region requires a skilled workforce and a robust healthcare supply chain to ensure medicines are available and kept in optimal condition.

The Medicine from the Sky project has created new jobs for local people. Jasmine Nikh became Arunachal Pradesh’s first female drone pilot. In all, 15 local youths have been employed to operate and service the drone deliveries.

The drones are also helping to reduce the environmental footprint of healthcare deliveries.

Drones powered by electric motors produce no CO2 emissions during use, which means they have the potential to reduce the impact caused by traditional delivery vehicles that burn fossil fuels. In the longer term, drones may reduce the pressure to build new roads, as more advanced drones could be introduced to further improve delivery systems and operate as flying taxis or even ambulances.

The World Economic Forum's AVIATE India initiative is taking advanced air mobility to the next level in India. By forming partnerships between communities, governments, civil society, and academia, AVIATE India is extending the benefits of airborne technologies across sectors including healthcare, agriculture and property surveying.

The trials in India have demonstrated the potential of drones to transform healthcare and other services across inaccessible regions around the globe, where deliveries by road are impossible or impractical. A public/private partnership approach can unlock growth, investment in research and development, empower local communities and most importantly of all, give millions of people rapid access to vital healthcare services.