VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday announced the allocation of 300 acres of land in Orvakallu, Kurnool district, for development of an ambitious drone hub. He said Amaravati will become the drone capital of India.
The chief minister was addressing a two- day Amaravati Drone Summit 2024. He said, “Andhra Pradesh will lead the way in drone technology. We have a plan to train 35,000 drone pilots, positioning the state as a human resource hub for drone technology.”
The event was attended by innovators, drone manufacturers and experts.
Naidu explained his vision of how these innovations would drive the state’s growth and keep Andhra Pradesh in the forefront of technology-driven development. “We invite all stakeholders to use Andhra Pradesh as a pilot testing field for their drone projects. These pilot projects will help test the effectiveness of drones and, if successful, these will be replicated statewide and across the country.”
The chief minister made several key announcements on his vision for Andhra Pradesh’s future and announced the allocation of land in Orvakallu for the drone hub.
“Andhra Pradesh will lead the way in drone technology. The initiative aims to boost drone manufacturing, innovation, and research here. We are planning to train 35,000 drone pilots to create a skilled workforce capable of meeting the growing demand for drones in various industries. Within 15 days, the state government would release a comprehensive drone policy to establish a business-friendly environment for drone manufacturers and innovators,” Naidu said.
Reflecting on his leadership in the 1990s, the chief minister explained about the early days of India's IT revolution. He recalled launching the country’s first IT project, HiTech City, through a public-private partnership (PPP) in 1995, which transformed Hyderabad into a tech hub. He reminisced about his efforts to bring global tech giants like Microsoft to India, leveraging the country's strengths in English and mathematics
