Amazon plans to start trialling its drone-powered deliveries for products purchased on its website in India this year.
As part of plans, the e-commerce major is expected to start trial of deliveries this October in two cities including Mumbai and Bangalore, according to the Economic Times.
Reports reveal that the selection of India comes as there are less strident policies on commercial drone usage compared to other countries, as commercial and civilian UAV operators do not need to obtain consents from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
As Amazon owns warehouses in both Mumbai and Bangalore, the latest move would enable delivery of some of the top selling products like books to select consumers in both cities in as little as 90 minutes to three hours.
Last December, Amazon started testing the use of Prime Air drone for delivering packages weighing up to 2.3kg to consumers within a half hour of them placing their order.
However, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not yet approved the deployment of unmanned drones for civilian purposes, while has permitted their use for police and government agencies, having issued 1,400 permits.
If Amazon’s plans come off, drones may be delivering Christmas presents in 2018.
