Drone mail reaches 36 routes in India’s Himachal Pradesh

India Post is using drones to carry mail and parcels on 36 routes in Himachal Pradesh, helping reach remote mountain villages more quickly and reliably, according to the state’s chief postmaster general.

The postal service now plans to expand that coverage to 110 routes. Sanjay Singh announced the expansion on 9 October, World Post Day, highlighting drones as a practical way to improve deliveries in places that are difficult to reach.

The initiative began on 13 August with a drone carrying India’s national flag from Mandi’s head post office to a village branch. It has since grown into an operating delivery service, although the reports did not quantify the time saved or give a completion date for the planned expansion.

The work sits within a largely rural postal network. At the end of September, Himachal Pradesh had 2,797 post offices, including 2,684 in rural areas. Drone deliveries add another way for that established network to serve remote communities, with the reported improvements focused on two everyday needs: getting mail there sooner and making its arrival more dependable.