Andhra Pradesh Launches India's First Drone City With Aerpace

By siliconindia | Wednesday, 26 November 2025, 02:48 Hrs

Andhra Pradesh partners with Aerpace Industries to build India’s first dedicated 'Drone City' in Orvakal, Kurnool.
The 300-acre project will house UAV manufacturing, component R&D, pilot training, and testing facilities under one integrated ecosystem.
The initiative aims to boost high-tech investment, create skilled jobs, and position Andhra Pradesh as a national hub for advanced drone and aerospace technologies.

The government of Andhra Pradesh has inked a strategic partnership with Aerpace Industries to establish what is being billed as India's first 'Drone City' in the region of Orvakal, near Kurnool. The project spans roughly 300 acres, chosen for its proximity to Kurnool airport and its viable connectivity to a burgeoning high-tech development corridor. According to the announcement, the site will be a comprehensive ecosystem for unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing, component research, pilot training, and testing infrastructure.

Aerpace Industries, which brings experience in defence-grade UAVs, heavy-lift platforms, logistics drones, and AI-enabled systems, has been in discussion with the Andhra Pradesh government through its economic development board for some time. The discussions covered technical assessments, design planning, and capability demonstrations.

With this partnership now formalised, Aerpace intends to set up a full-scale campus within the Drone City for the production of both civilian and defence drones, support component development, and conduct pilot training.

Besides manufacturing, the initiative is also foreseen to have an integrated pipeline of certification and regulatory compliance mechanisms, research in next-generation autonomous platforms, energy systems and improved operational reliability. The training programmes will build a skilled workforce of remote pilots and technicians, hence creating employment opportunities and strengthening the regional human-capital base in the unmanned systems sector.

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Drone City aligns with the wider objectives of Andhra Pradesh in promoting innovation, attracting high-technology investments, and positioning itself as a hub for the aerospace and advanced mobility sector. Building domestic capacity in drone manufacturing and related technologies will help the state reduce its dependence on imports and enhance homegrown competitiveness in logistics, emergency-response, defense, and industrial operations.

The site selection, Kurnool, and Orvakal seem strategic, enabling rapid testing and deployment in a bounded space without the constraints of an urbanized setting. This partnership is a bold step by the government of Andhra Pradesh into the fast-emerging unmanned aviation technologies. By leveraging Aerpace's domain expertise and creating a dedicated physical ecosystem, the state is betting on drones as a key axis of future growth, employment, and technological leadership.