August begins on a high note for DHI as a drone carrying a 10 kg bag of rice successfully lands at Phajoding Monastery — marking a milestone in Bhutan’s journey toward drone-enabled logistics.

DHI, through its InnoTech Department, in collaboration with EndureAir Systems Pvt. Ltd. (incubated at IIT Kanpur), has successfully conducted a proof-of-concept “𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧.”

This pioneering initiative is closely aligned with the Royal Government of Bhutan’s national priorities, including the 13th Five-Year Plan’s focus on reforming logistics through ICT, and the Bhutan 2030 Comprehensive Development Plan, which envisions the use of UAVs to enhance access — particularly for critical services in remote regions.

The POC involved flights from Sangaygang to Phajoding, starting with a 1 kg payload and culminating in the successful delivery of a 10 kg bag of rice. The final demonstration on 1st August 2025 marks a significant step forward for drone logistics in Bhutan.

The project has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of DHI Innotech, its visionary Board of Directors and executives, and with vital support from the Government Technology (GovTech) Agency, Royal Government of Bhutan as our main partner.

We extend our appreciation to the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) for supporting this effort through regulatory exemptions to operate the Sabal-20 drone, capable of carrying payloads exceeding 20 kg.

With this successful demonstration, DHI InnoTech moves closer to its vision of developing a comprehensive drone logistics ecosystem. This will not only improve critical service delivery but also position the country as a hub for emerging technology adoption, in alignment with DHI's mission to develop technologies with values.