Sustainable drone logistics: investigating the drone adoption initiatives for achieving SDGs

This study aims to evaluate the Drone Adoption Initiatives (DAIs) to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the Indian logistics sector. A total of 37 SDG targets are identified through keyword-based text mining and mapped to 34 DAIs; subsequently, 19 targets are shortlisted for the final SF-TODIM evaluation. The findings reveal that the development of safe landing and charging stations, creation of dedicated drone corridors, and establishment of robust regulatory frameworks are the top DAIs for achievement of SDGs. Significant SDGs achieved due to DAIs are related to sustainable transportation (SDG11.2), policy alignment (SDG17.14), and economic productivity (SDG8.2). DAIs facilitate the development of specific transport policies that address needs of diverse stakeholders, including regulators, logistics providers, urban planners, and end-users. This study offers theoretical and managerial insights by linking DAIs to SDGs and provides a practical roadmap for policymakers, urban planners, and logistics managers.