Drone Ambulances To Hover In AP By May This Year?

After using drones to deliver essentials and medicines to people in marooned areas during floods and cyclones, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has envisioned human carrying drone ambulances to strengthen the emergency healthcare.

To make the project a reality, the Andhra Pradesh government has partnered with Dr Kalam Advanced UAV Research Centre (CASR) at Anna University, Chennai. In partnership with the educational institution, the AP government would develop the nation’s first long-range, human-carrying drone ambulance.

The ambulance would be designed to have a payload capacity of 150 kg and a flight endurance of nearly 90 minutes. It is designed to ensure quick medical response in remote and underserved regions. The project would leverage the technology behind unmanned aerial vehicles and would be implemented to save lives and strengthen human transport systems.

CASR Director Dr K. Senthil Kumar said that the Anna University was the technology implementation partner and would head the formulation of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operation frameworks.

The human-carrying drone is expected to travel at 50-60 kmph at an altitude of 1,000 ft-1,200 ft. The unmanned drones would also support rapid delivery of medical supplies, blood, diagnostic samples and emergency medical equipment.

The drone ambulance will also be equipped with redundant flight systems, autonomous emergency landing capabilities to ensure the safety of patients and public too.

Dr Senthil Kumar also said that the Unified Traffic Management (UTM) would help the operators go for real-time tracking, and real-time flight planning, route approval and allocation of airspace for emergency missions. The drone ambulance will also carry essential medical supplies and life-saving equipment.

Dr Senthil Kumar said that the first prototype, with a minimum payload will be flown in the first week of May 2026. 

Meanwhile, the CM is learnt to have asked the team to accommodate a paramedic too, by enhancing the payload capacity, so as to instil confidence in patients.