Amazon's delivery drones may start flight in India

US-based electronic ecommerce company Amazon will start delivering packages using drones or unmanned aerial vehicles in India as early as Diwali, The Economic Times reported on Wednesday.

With India lacking the rules that govern the use of UAVs, Amazon is likely to start trials of its drone delivery vehicles in Bangalore and Mumbai, cities where the the company has warehouses, people aware of the development told the financial daily. In the US, ecommerce companies are not allowed to operate drones outdoor.

In December last year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the ecommerce company is testing delivery packages using drones.

Bezos said the drones, unmanned vehicles that fly through the air, could deliver packages that weigh up to five pounds (2.3 kg). That represents roughly 86 per cent of packages that Amazon delivers, he said.

Associated Press reported Bezos was working on a way to use the small aircraft to get parcels to customers in 30 minutes or less. While flight technology makes it feasible, US law and society's attitude toward drones haven't caught up with Bezos' vision.

Bezos said the drones can carry packages that weigh up to five pounds, which covers about 86 per cent of the items Amazon delivers. The drones the company is testing have a range of about 10 miles, which Bezos noted could cover a significant portion of the population in urban areas.