Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu has said that the Central and Andhra Pradesh governments are working in coordination to transform the Oravakal Drone City into a national hub for drone manufacturing, research, testing, training, and technological development.

Mr. Rammohan Naidu visited Orvakal Drone City on Tuesday and addressed a meeting with approximately 150 representatives, including CEOs, CXOs, and CFOs, from the drone industry.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the meeting, the Union Minister said the government’s objective is to establish a comprehensive ecosystem at Oravakal Drone City that encompasses not only drone manufacturing but also their application and usage.

He said 600 acres of land have been allocated at Orvakal for the Drone City to bring together drone manufacturing, usage, research, services, and training onto a single platform.

“The State government and the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation are taking steps to develop the Drone City in a phased manner. In the first phase, eight out of twelve plots have already been allotted to drone companies, and approximately 55 acres of land has been assigned to various firms to facilitate the establishment of manufacturing units,” the Union Minister said.

Several drone companies operating in Hyderabad and Bengaluru have evinced interest in expanding their operations to the Orvakal Drone City after inspecting the site.

He said the company representatives requested the establishment of testing and sandbox facilities to test and certify drones after they are manufactured.

Industry representatives also suggested creating a dedicated system to expedite the process of obtaining the necessary airspace clearances and other approvals for aerial testing.

“These suggestions would be taken into account to fast-track the required actions,” Mr. Rammohan Naidu said.

He announced the formation of a special committee tasked with comprehensively examining various aspects such as testing, certification, airspace clearances, and infrastructure, and ensuring that necessary measures are implemented within a three-month time frame.

He said the demand for drones is likely to increase to a level where at least one is required for every village in India. While there is a nationwide requirement for over 6 lakh drones, currently around 40,000 are available, highlighting the opportunity to capitalise on this vast market through domestic manufacturing, he said.

The Union Minister noted that investments worth approximately ₹130 crore have already been secured from companies for the Orvakal Drone City and projected that the drone industry could attract investments up to ₹5,000 crore.

“Once the Drone City is fully developed, it has the potential to provide direct employment to around 5,000 people and indirect employment to 25,000 people,” he asserted.

Published - August 18, 2026 07:20 pm IST