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A Drone Modeled After Rockets
Based in Bangalore, India, Airbound is working on a drone with an unconventional design: a vertical “tail-sitter” that takes off like a rocket and then glides like an airplane. Its carbon fiber structure and flying wing profile enhance aerodynamics.
The result is less weight, reduced drag, and lower energy consumption. The stated goal is to deliver a package for $0.01, which is 20 times cheaper than traditional methods.
A Promise of Unmatched Cost Efficiency
Currently in India, electric two-wheelers are used to deliver packages under 3 kg. Each kilometer costs about 2 cents of electricity, in addition to the dead weight of the vehicle (averaging 150 kg). Airbound, with its drone weighing 1.5 kg and carrying a 1 kg payload, aims for an energy cost of just 0.1 cent per kilometer, which is twenty times less. By eliminating the driver, wheels, and everything else, the cost per trip is drastically reduced. It makes sense.
Real-World Testing with an Indian Hospital
To prove its concept, Airbound has initiated a pilot test with Narayana Health in Bangalore. Over three months, the drone will make ten deliveries per day: medical samples, blood bags, or test results. This type of transport is critical in terms of reliability, allowing both the technology and business model to be validated in a particularly demanding context.
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Scaling Up and Global Ambitions
The young company aims to increase production from one drone per day to over 100 by 2027. It seeks to achieve one million daily deliveries in India and then expand to the United States. The next model of the drone, lighter and capable of carrying more load, is expected to be ready by mid-2026. Meanwhile, Airbound is in talks with Indian civil aviation authorities to obtain commercial flight approvals.
Funding Round Supported by American Tech
The fundraising round of $8.65 million was led by Lachy Groom, co-founder of Physical Intelligence, with investors from Tesla, SpaceX, and Anduril. Their goal is to make delivery so affordable that distance becomes irrelevant. A portion of the funding will be dedicated to optimizing batteries, the main recurring cost of the drone, as usual.
Final Thoughts
Airbound isn’t just escalating technology for the sake of it but is seeking the right balance between weight, efficiency, and cost. While many competitors get bogged down in complex, heavy solutions, this Indian startup is betting everything on physical simplicity. If it succeeds in meeting its promises, it could permanently change the game rules of lightweight delivery worldwide.