Press Release

Cargo Drones Market Achieved USD 1.78 Billion in 2024, Estimated to Surge to USD 9.35 Billion by 2030

The Global Cargo Drones Market size was valued at USD 1.78 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 9.35 Billion by 2030. Along with this, the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 36% during the forecast period, i.e., 2025-30, cites MarkNtel Advisors in the recent research report. The market experiences growth due to several factors such as the global drive towards carbon neutrality, ensuring last-mile deliveries, and increasing demand from the defense industry.

According to IEA, the aviation industry accounted for around 2% of global carbon emissions in 2023. Moreover, road transport contributes to around 30% of the global carbon emission every year. The goods transported via trucks are the major contributor to these staggering figures of carbon emissions. Therefore, to minimize the emissions from these industries, governments across the globe are working with multinational organizations to devise and create alternate solutions. So, cargo drones have emerged as one such alternative. In 2024, the global cargo drones market is in its nascent stage. However, global research and development towards greater endurance, low power requirements, etc., are fueling the adoption of cargo drones. Defense forces across the globe are progressively contracting cargo drone manufacturers to strengthen their logistics capabilities. The US defense forces have been working with companies like Leidos, Silent Arrow, Mightfly, etc., to develop cargo drones. Similarly, the defense forces of the UK, China, India, Russia, Israel, etc., have initiated dedicated programs for the procurement of cargo drones.

Moreover, venture capital investors have invested more than USD 2.8 billion in around 90 companies working towards the design, development, and manufacturing of cargo drones. This overwhelming interest of venture capitalists is providing much-needed impetus to the global cargo drones market, further states the research report, “Global Cargo Drones Market Analysis, 2025.”

Global Cargo Drones Market Segmentation Analysis

Drones with Payload Capacity Up to 50 Kg dominated the market

Based on the Material segment, the market is further bifurcated into, 0.5- 10 Kg, 11-50 Kg, 51-150 Kg, 151-250 Kg, 251-500 Kg, 501-750 Kg, and Above 750 Kg

Retail and e-commerce followed by the healthcare sector are the frontrunners in the adoption of cargo drones. These sectors majorly employ drones with a payload capacity of up to 50 Kg. In terms of unit sales, the drones with a capacity range of 0.5 kg to 10 kg grabbed a significant market share in 2023. However, ongoing needs of the emerging sectors like construction, defense, and marine have pushed the cargo drone manufacturers to dedicate extensive resources towards the payload capacity ranging between 51-150 kg. Therefore, this segment is expected to witness substantial growth in the forthcoming years. In addition, the category 151-250 Kg is also expected to register exponential growth driven by the demand from the defense industry. Companies in the US, China, and Russia have already launched the prototypes for defense forces in this category, and are undergoing flight trials.     

Close Range Drones (<10 Km) show the Fastest Growth in the Market

Based on the End User segment, the market is further bifurcated into, Close-range (< 10 Km), Short-range (11 to 50 Km), Mid-range (51 to 300 Km), Long-range (>300 Km)

Close-range drones grabbed a substantial market share in the global cargo drones market in 2023. E-commerce giants, food delivery companies, and medical services providers were the major end users of these drones. These companies have been working towards gradual integration and commercialization of drones in deliveries in North America and Western Europe, while trials and R&D are undergoing in Asia Pacific, and Middle East region. So, initially, these companies are focused on areas within the range of 10 km for proper assimilation of cargo drones into their logistics capabilities. However, the market growth short-range category is expected to outperform other segments in the forthcoming years.

Competitive Landscape

With strategic initiatives, such as mergers, collaborations, and acquisitions, the leading market players, including Dronamics, UAVOS, Natilus, Silent Arrow, Volocopter, Elroy ARC, Boeing Airbus, Aviation Industry Corp, Sabrewing SkyDrive, and Ehang are looking forward to strengthening their market position.

Key Questions Answered in the Research Report

1. What are the industry’s overall statistics or estimates (Overview, Size- By Value, Forecast Numbers, Segmentation, Shares)?
2. What are the trends influencing the current scenario of the market?
3. What key factors would propel and impede the industry across the country?
4. How has the industry been evolving in terms of geography & product adoption?
5. How has the competition been shaping across various regions?
6. How has the buying behavior, customer inclination, and expectations from product manufacturers been evolving during 2020-30?
7. Who are the key competitors, and what strategic partnerships or ventures are they coming up with to stay afloat during the projected time frame?