JD.com, China’s largest retailer, has announced the completion of Indonesia’s first government approved drone flight – a breakthrough for drone delivery in Southeast Asia. The successful pilot opens the door for future commercial drone use in Indonesia and the Southeast Asia region, subject to further regulatory approvals.
The test flight took place on 8 January, 2019, in West Java, Indonesia, where the drone flew from Jagabita Village, Parung Panjang to MIS Nurul Falah Leles Elementary School to deliver backpacks and books to students. The items delivered by drone were part of a larger donation of supplies from JD.com to the school. JD has a long history of offering philanthropic support to those in the communities where it operates. The company often taps its technology and nationwide logistics network to provide immediate support for natural disasters such as earthquakes in China.
JD.com and its JV partner, e-commerce company JD.ID, were early movers in bringing high quality e-commerce to Indonesia. JD.ID, which launched e-commerce operations in 2016, sells one million SKUs and serves more than 20 million consumers across the country. Its operations leverage a logistics network consisting of ten warehouses across seven islands, covering 483 cities and 6,500 counties. Given the fact that the country is spread out across many islands, the implementation of drones for regular use in e-commerce deliveries, as well as other logistics-related services, will enable citizens in Indonesia to enjoy more efficient and reliable services, and help JD.ID realise its goal of being able to deliver 85 per cent of orders same- or next-day. JD.ID is also committed leveraging its logistics and other resources to support humanitarian efforts like earthquake disaster relief.