Allocation of 300 acres in Kurnool district announced for a drone hub
l AP to train 35,000 drone pilots to create a skilled workforce for drone technology.
l Naidu reflects on his role in launching HiTech City and attracting global tech giants during India’s IT revolution
in the 1990s.
l He praises PM Modi’s leadership, highlighting initiatives like JAM and Ayushman Bharat for strengthening India’s digital infrastructure.
l Mentioning that drones were used during the Vijayawada floods, Naidu highlights their potential to solve urban and agricultural issues.
l A comprehensive drone policy to be released within 15 days to encourage drone manufacturing and innovation.
l Naidu stresses the importance of data and AI in driving future innovations and the knowledge economy.
PNS n Vijayawada
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has announced the allocation of 300 acres of land in Orvakallu, Kurnool district, to develop a drone hub, positioning Amaravati as the drone capital of India. Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 on Tuesday, the CM declared that Andhra Pradesh will lead the nation in drone technology.
During his address, Chandrababu Naidu outlined an ambitious plan to train 35,000 drone pilots in the state, transforming Andhra Pradesh into a human resource hub for drone technology.
Reflecting on his leadership during India’s IT revolution in the 1990s, Naidu recalled launching the country’s first IT project, HiTech City, in Hyderabad through a public-private partnership in 1995. He spoke about attracting global tech giants like Microsoft and highlighted how his proposal to deregulate the telecom sector, supported by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, helped bring mobile technology to India.
The CM also praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting, “We are fortunate to have a dynamic Prime Minister in Narendra Modi, who has promoted Brand India globally.” He expressed confidence that with collective efforts, India could become the world’s leading economy. He lauded initiatives like JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) and Ayushman Bharat for strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure.
Naidu emphasised Andhra Pradesh’s adaptability to emerging technologies, citing the recent use of drones during the Vijayawada floods to deliver food and water. “Drones can solve traffic problems, enhance agriculture, and revolutionise healthcare,” he said.
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The CM made several key announcements, including his vision to make Andhra Pradesh a global hub for drone technology. He reiterated that Amaravati will become the drone capital of India, with the 300-acre drone hub in Orvakallu boosting drone manufacturing, innovation, and research.
He also unveiled plans to train 35,000 drone pilots, creating a skilled workforce to meet the rising demand for drones across various industries. He assured that a comprehensive drone policy, fostering a business-friendly environment for manufacturers and innovators, would be released within 15 days.
The Chief Minister invited stakeholders to use Andhra Pradesh as a testing ground for drone projects, which would later be scaled up and implemented across the country. He also underscored the significance of data, calling it “the new wealth,” and noted the potential for AI-driven innovation, with 400 million terabytes of data being generated daily.
Looking ahead, Naidu highlighted the rise of the knowledge economy, driven by AI, machine learning, and cloud technologies, and urged Andhra Pradesh to build a strong ecosystem for knowledge-based industries.
In conclusion, Naidu said, “With the precision of data and flexibility of operations, drones, AI, and other emerging technologies will enable Andhra Pradesh and India to lead the world in the knowledge economy.”
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India banned drone imports to
encourage local startups: Union Minister
VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister of Civil Aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said India has banned the import of drones to encourage local talent to manufacture them. Addressing the two-day national drone summit at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, the Civil Aviation Minister noted that the government banned drone imports as it does not want some other country or company to benefit at the cost of India. “We have banned the total import of drones, why did we do it? We want to encourage more startups to come in this drone sector.
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We want the people of this country to manufacture drones. We don’t want to import drones and let the benefit go to some other country or some other company,” said Naidu. According to the union minister, the government wants the young and bright minds of the country to develop new types of drones to cater to solutions which are indigenous to the country, so, with that mindset we banned imports.
The aviation minister highlighted that the Centre has liberalised rules for the drone ecosystem and enabled 27 companies to benefit from the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
Noting that India has emerged as a drone hub in the past few years, he said the government wants to push the industry further.
“Looking at a drone hub in Andhra Pradesh in the future… want to ensure that Andhra Pradesh grows to the best of its ability,” he said, adding that the government wants to ensure that the southern state will emerge as the drone hub of the world.
The mega-drone summit on October 22 and 23 will feature drone hackathons, exhibitions and participation from industry experts.
As many as 1,711 delegates and 1,306 visitors are expected to attend the summit, among others
