Drone logistics startup Skye Air Mobility is targeting a US market entry by 2028 and expects to begin testing and regulatory trials with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) soon.In an exclusive interaction with businessline, Founder and CEO Ankit Kumar said all drones for the US market will be manufactured in India, underscoring the company’s export ambitions.“We see India continuing to remain our base for manufacturing. We will evaluate the timing and nature of future investments as the business scales, but our manufacturing operations will largely remain in India,” Kumar said.
Ankit Kumar with drone
The company has partnered with Arrive AI, a Nasdaq-listed firm, and has secured approvals to conduct proof-of-concept (PoC) trials in Indiana’s designated drone test zones.“We are working with Arrive AI to develop use cases, initially focused on healthcare deliveries. Once that is established, we will expand into e-commerce and quick commerce applications. Similar to our model in India with large e-commerce players, we eventually see opportunities to work with major players in the US as well,” Kumar said.Skye Air plans to begin its US operations with healthcare deliveries before expanding into e-commerce and quick commerce. The company is also scaling its domestic footprint, with expansion planned in Mysuru, Mumbai and Pune. E-commerce currently accounts for 95 per cent of its revenue, and the company aims to onboard more than 100 D2C brands this year.According to market intelligence platform Tracxn, Skye Air reported revenue of ₹3.3 crore and a loss of ₹14 crore in FY25. Kumar expects direct-to-consumer (D2C) deliveries to emerge as a key growth driver. “In terms of revenue, D2C is likely to generate nearly twice what e-commerce contributes for us, while e-commerce volumes continue to be maintained,” he said.Skye Air currently works with brands such as Freedo and Bombay Shaving Company to enable 2–4 hour deliveries and aims to onboard more than 100 D2C brands this year.Published on May 25, 2026
