Narayana Health's Devi Shetty Claims Airbound's Drone Tech and Diagnostics Can Cut Patient Testing Costs by 50%

Narayana Health Partners with Airbound to Revolutionize Medical Logistics

Key Highlights:

• Narayana Health completes over 700 flights in a live pilot with drone-based medical logistics startup Airbound, reducing diagnostic costs by up to 50%.
• The pilot, launched in January 2026, connected Narayana Health's Chandapura clinic to its central laboratory in Electronic City via a 4-km aerial route.
• Airbound's drones take off vertically and transition to forward flight, combining agility and efficiency.

Cost Reduction and Centralization:

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• Centralization of labs and blood banks into high-volume hubs is expected to reduce costs by 50%.
• Narayana Health's central lab processes over 25,000 tests daily, largely automated.
• The company aims to bring drone logistics costs down to nearly ₹1 per trip.

Smart Hospitals and Digital Infrastructure:

• Narayana Health is building four to five "smart" hospitals in Bengaluru over the next one to two years.
• The hospital chain has invested over $100 million in building its digital infrastructure.
• AI is expected to "completely disrupt" healthcare, particularly in standardizing treatment protocols and improving efficiency.

Expansion Plans:

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• Airbound is set to raise around $30 million in a fresh round led by Greenoaks with participation from Lightspeed and other existing investors.
• The partners plan to establish an aerial medical corridor between Narayana Health's upcoming Banashankari hospital and its flagship Electronic City facility, subject to regulatory approvals.
• Expansion routes are planned across Bengaluru and later to other cities, including Kolkata.