Drone Port To Come Up on 20 Acres in Pharma City

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairperson S. Somanath on Wednesday struck an agreement to set up a drone port on 20 acres of land allotted for the Pharma City project, on the city outskirts, to train drone pilots.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on the day by the Telangana State Aviation Academy (TSAA) CEO S.N. Reddy and Isro’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) director Prakash Chauhan, to provide advanced training for drone pilots.

Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, R&B Secretary K.S. Sreenivasa Raju, and NRSC Deputy Director Murali Krishna were among those present on the occasion.

According to the agreement, training courses will be provided on drone piloting, drone data management, and data analysis. The academy will also hold 15-day training courses on data analysis, processing, and mapping for NRSC scientists and drone pilots.

Officials said the deal was a need of the hour, given the pervasion of drones in all sectors, citing their use by farmers to spray fertilisers and pesticides, and as a means of employment by women’s self-help groups.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy called for training government officials holding the rank of tahsildar and above to create awareness about drones.

Isro chief Somanath appreciated Revanth Reddy for taking the initiative. He said: “The NRSC, which is one of the primary centres of Isro and plays a key role in satellite, remote sensing, and space technology, will provide training by using advanced drone technology.”

Somanath praised the Telangana Aviation Academy, which has received the best aviation award 12 times for extending quality services.

Sources said that aviation academy officials had requested the Chief Minister to allocate land to develop an exclusive drone facility, bringing to his notice the inconvenience of training at the Begumpet Airport due to increasing air traffic.

The Chief Minister immediately inquired with the officials and made the allocation for a drone port at Pharma City. He suggested allocating the land in a no-objection zone, as per aviation regulations, and that it must be located in the vicinity of Hyderabad.

In a related development, the Chief Minister directed officials to undertake necessary measures to renovate the Warangal airport, including a feasibility study on constructing damaged runways and launching commercial operations. He also suggested that the officials consult with the Airports Authority of India to establish an airport in the surroundings of Kothagudem and Bhadrachalam, which is considered a feasible location to develop an airfield.