New Delhi: In an extension of its expertise in military logistics, tech startup BonV Aero is now turning its attention to environmental stewardship — developing high-tech solutions to tackle the persistent problem of plastic waste in the Indian Himalayas.
The startup is deploying electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to airlift plastic and other non-biodegradable waste from remote, high-altitude regions where traditional waste management systems remain impractical or unsafe due to limited mobility in the mountainous region.
Every year, the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) which stretches across 13 mountain states generates between 1.9 to 8 million metric tonnes of solid waste.
The surge in tourism, pilgrimage, and adventure activities in areas like Manali, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib, Leh, and Spiti Valley has led to an alarming increase in single-use plastic waste, especially during peak seasons.
“Managing waste in the Himalayas is, first and foremost, a logistical challenge,” says Satyabrata Satapathy, co-founder of BonV Aero.
“Steep slopes, inaccessible trails, and extreme weather make it dangerous or even impossible for trucks, mules, or human porters to carry waste back down. That’s where our UAVs come in they are designed to operate in exactly these kinds of difficult terrains.”
BonV Aero’s flagship eVTOL platforms, Air ORCA and Air Pelican, are engineered to carry payloads across rugged mountain environments.
The Air ORCA, capable of lifting up to 20 kg, was recently tested at Umling La Pass (19,024 feet AMSL) the highest motorable road in the world where the team conducted a successful hover test to study system response in low-oxygen, high-altitude conditions.
Meanwhile, the Air Pelican, which can transport up to 50 kg, is being actively trialled in collaboration with the Indian Army for high-altitude logistics. “We are closely working with the Army to co-develop and mature this system for extreme altitudes,” adds Satapathy. “While that’s ongoing, we have also developed a new payload UAV that can carry up to 25 kg at high altitudes — an immediate, scalable solution for both military and civilian use.”
BonV Aero is now pivoting these aerial logistics solutions toward environmental conservation, and is in active discussions with state governments, NGOs, and waste management companies to initiate pilot missions focused on waste evacuation in vulnerable mountain regions.
Co-founder Abinash Sahoo elaborates, “We’ve always believed our UAVs are multi-mission platforms — whether for military resupply, disaster response, or now, environmental cleanup. Waste evacuation is not just urgent, it’s also an area where our technology can make a real,
measurable difference. We’re ready to collaborate with government bodies, civil society groups, and private players to make this a reality.”
This effort reflects a growing trend in dual-use innovation, where technologies originally built for defence are being repurposed to address pressing environmental and infrastructure challenges. BonV Aero’s solution promises a cleaner, more accessible Himalayas not just for today’s visitors, but for generations to come.