Andhra Pradesh plans drone taxis as CM Naidu lays foundation for Drone and Space cities

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh is aiming to introduce Drone Taxis soon. While laying foundation stones tor Drone and Space cities virtually from Visakhapatnam, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that the state aims to develop the drone sector to such an extent that drone taxis can soon be introduced, for which a dedicated drone traffic control system would be established. He also announced that the “Quantum Valley” would be launched in January and that Andhra Pradesh was being shaped into a “Green Hydrogen Valley.”

The Drone City will be built on 300 acres in Orvakal, Kurnool district. It will be developed as an international hub for drone design, manufacturing, services, and R&D. The project will include advanced manufacturing parks, testing and certification centers, and facilities to train 25,000 remote pilots. For the first time in the country, “Twin Space Cities” will be established in Sri Sathya Sai and Tirupati districts. The Twin Space Cities are projected to attract investments of Rs 25,000 crore and create over 35,000 jobs within ten years.

Highlighting the growing demand for drones globally, Union Minister Piyush Goyal who also participated in the stone laying praised the Chief Minister’s foresight in conceptualizing Drone City ahead of the curve. He commended Chandrababu Naidu for predicting the potential of information technology even before the sector gained national importance, and for capturing growth opportunities early on. Goyal said Naidu is now demonstrating similar vision and leadership in areas like drones, space, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology.

“Chandrababu Naidu deserves credit for establishing India’s first Drone City and Space Cities. Both Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Naidu are working together with a shared goal of developing the state and the nation,” the Union Minister said.

The Drone City will be built on 300 acres in Orvakal, Kurnool district. It will be developed as an international hub for drone design, manufacturing, services, and R&D. The project will include advanced manufacturing parks, testing and certification centers, and facilities to train 25,000 remote pilots.

The Drone City is expected to directly and indirectly generate more than 40,000 job opportunities. Additionally, 50 Centers of Excellence will be set up across the state. The Andhra Pradesh government is offering major incentives, including a 20% capital subsidy and 100% SGST reimbursement, to investors participating in this project.

For the first time in the country, “Twin Space Cities” will be established in Sri Sathya Sai and Tirupati districts. The goal is to enhance private sector participation in India’s space industry. These facilities will focus on satellite prototype development, incubation for space-tech startups, satellite component manufacturing, and launch logistics support.

The Twin Space Cities are projected to attract investments of Rs 25,000 crore and create over 35,000 jobs within ten years. As part of the AP Space Policy 4.0, a Rs 100 crore Space Tech Fund has already been allotted. The establishment of Drone City and Space Cities is expected to herald a new era in India’s aerospace and space industries and will be key enablers for achieving the goals of the “Swarna Andhra Vision 2047.”

Andhra Pradesh government also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with multiple companies. For the Space City projects, MoUs were signed with Blue Space and Eternal Exploration Guild Private Limited.

For the Drone City, agreements were finalized with Algobotics Private Limited, Akin Analytics Solution Private Limited, Senselmaze, and Airpase Industries for strategic investments.