Chennai in India soon to become a drone manufacturing hub

Capital of Indian state Tamil Nadu, Chennai will soon become a drone manufacturing hub, enabling better pandemic and disaster responses using drones.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, space scientists like Mylsamy Annadurai and senior officials of the state are exploring the possibility of turning Chennai into a drone manufacturing hub with support from institutions like Anna University and MIT.

The draft Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2020 recently issued by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, which seeks to relax the rules related to drone use, has made such a possibility more feasible.

On the occasion of the meeting, an official shared, “Chennai has always taken the lead in using the Unmanned Aircraft System for civic utility. Strategic reasons were cited for the delay in issuance of permission for drones. Now, the regulations laid down by the defence authorities are expected to be relaxed further. Line agencies will be able to use drones for addressing civic issues faced by residents.”