Mumbai, July 28 -- Two private companies have proposed investments totalling Rs five billion (bn) in Andhra Pradesh's aviation and drone sectors, the state investments and infrastructure minister said.

He discussed the proposals at separate meetings with representatives of KNOTS Aerospace of New Delhi and GGF Astraa Analytica of Hyderabad at the State Secretariat in Velagapudi in Amaravati and attributed the interest to industry friendly policies under the state leadership, saying they have created a favourable climate for sunrise sectors.

KNOTS Aerospace, led by Athiraj Singh Chawla, proposes to set up a Flight Training Organisation at either Nagarjuna Sagar Airport or Kurnool Airport and plans an investment of around Rs one billion (bn) over the next five years. The project is expected to generate nearly 100 direct jobs and will commence operations with six training aircraft, with a planned expansion of the fleet to 20 aircraft within five years. Company representatives presented technical and operational plans during the meeting while the minister invited a detailed project report.

GGF Astraa Analytica has proposed a comprehensive drone ecosystem in the proposed Kurnool Drone City, outlining an investment of about Rs four billion (bn) and the requirement of nearly 100 acres of land. The company presented its capabilities in drone research, assembly, manufacturing, testing, training and incubation and noted collaborations with organisations in London and Singapore. It indicated interest in applying drone solutions across public safety and event management.

GGF Astraa Analytica has expressed interest in deploying drone based services during the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu for CCTV surveillance, security monitoring, crowd management and traffic regulation, and trial runs are scheduled for September. The minister invited both companies to submit detailed project reports and assured governmental facilitation and support in permitting and clearances. Officials will assess the outcome of trial runs before taking a final decision on deployment.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.