Amaravati, Oct 22 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said that he plans to develop the state as a global hub of drone technology and go for the extensive use of drones in various sectors.

He announced that the state government will unveil drone policy and establish a dedicated drone manufacturing and testing park.

He announced the allocation of 300 acres of land at Orvakallu in Kurnool district, for the development of a drone hub.

“Amaravati will become the drone capital of India, and Andhra Pradesh will lead the way in drone technology,” he declared. The initiative aims to boost drone manufacturing, innovation, and research in the state.

Inaugurating two-day Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 here, he announced a plan to train 35,000 drone pilots in Andhra Pradesh, positioning the state as a human resource hub for drone technology. This, he explained, will create a skilled workforce capable of meeting the growing demand for drones in various industries.

He also promised that within 15 days, the state government would unveil a comprehensive drone policy to establish a business-friendly environment for drone manufacturers and innovators.

Chandrababu Naidu invited 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, will be scaled up statewide and replicated across the country.

Emphasising the importance of data, he termed it a real wealth that will be important for the country and industry.

He highlighted that 400 million terabytes of data are being generated daily, and when combined with AI, this data has the potential to drive innovations that were previously unimaginable.

The Chief Minister spoke about the rise of the knowledge economy, driven by AI, machine learning, and cloud technologies. He stressed the importance of creating a robust ecosystem for knowledge-based industries in Andhra Pradesh.

“With the flexibility of operations and accuracy of data, drones, AI, and other emerging technologies will help Andhra Pradesh, and India as a whole, lead the world in the knowledge economy, said the Chief Minister, who believes that drone technology will be a game changer in the future.

The Chief Minister mentioned that drones were used for relief operations during the recent floods in Vijayawada. The state administration supplied food and water to people in flood-hit areas by using drones.

Stating that drones have a key role in agriculture and infrastructure, Naidu said they can also be used for traffic management in cities.

“Some countries are using drones in wars. We are using them for development,” he said.

The Chief Minister told the summit that the state government wants to extensively use drones for maintaining law and order. “Using the drones, we can keep a tab on the movements of rowdy sheeters and check their activities,” he said.

He recalled that when he became chief minister for the first time in 1995, he strived for the development of the information technology sector in Hyderabad. HITEC City was built in the PPP model.

Minister for Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu, who was also present at the summit, noted that over the past few years, India emerged as a global leader in drone technology driven by innovation, policy reforms, and strong industry partnerships.

He mentioned that 132 remote pilot training organisations are empowering a new generation of drone operators. “So far 17,600 remote pilot certificates have been issued and 81 different kinds of drone models have been typed certified,” he said.

The minister said the government banned the import of drones as it wants to encourage startups to come up in the drone sector. “We want people of this country to manufacture the drones. We want young and bright minds to come up with new types of drones that offer indigenous solutions,” he said.

Rammohan Naidu said the drone rules of 2021 were liberalised to increase drone operation and encourage more R&D and investment.

Stating that 26,500 drones have been registered across the country, he said the potential is huge as the country needs to register one lakh drones.

He noted that through the Drone Didi programme, 30,000 women are being trained as drone pilots for use in agriculture.

The Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 has brought key stakeholders from across the drone industry, including government officials, technology innovators, and industry leaders, to explore the future of drones in India. The two-day event highlights advancements in drone technology, industry trends, and opportunities for collaboration.