Unmanned Aerial Systems: Tamil Nadu To Host India's First Drone Testing Facility

India’s first common testing centre for unmanned aerial systems (drones) would be established in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 45 crore.

The test centre will be established by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) — the nodal agency for the implementation of the Tamil Nadu defence industrial corridor.

The absence of a shared testing facility has been a major 'entry barrier' for businesses operating within the aerospace and defence sector.

To address this, TIDCO has strategised the establishment of such testing hubs under the centre's Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme in Tamil Nadu.

Based on this, a consortium of companies consisting of Keltron, SenseImage Technologies, Standard Testing and Compliance lab, and Avishka Retailers had been chosen to partner with TIDCO for establishing the facility at an estimated cost of Rs 45 crore, an official release said.

This test centre would be established over an area of about 2.3 acre at the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu industrial park, Vallam Vadagal near Sriperumbudur.

The centre would enable the state to be a significant contributor to the self-reliance of the country in aerospace and defence sector, the official release noted.