VISAKHAPATNAM: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu along with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal virtually laid foundation stones to Drone City and Space City as part of the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
While the Drone City will come up across 300 acres in Orvakallu of Kurnool district, the Space Twin Space cities will come up in Tirupati and Sri Sathya Sai district.
Describing the development as another major boost for Rayalaseema from the Vizag CII Partnership Summit, the Chief Minister felt that Andhra Pradesh is set to become India’s drone hub, empowering Drone Acharyas to drive the nation’s drone revolution.
“Today, we were delighted to virtually lay the foundation stone for the 300-acre Drone City at Orvakal. Drone City is a complete ecosystem, integrating design, manufacturing, testing, skilling, R&D, services, and strong policy support, all in one place. This is a significant step in our commitment to decentralised development, bringing advanced technology to Rayalaseema and ensuring balanced growth across the State. We are also proud to lay the foundation for India’s first twin Space Cities in the Sri Satya Sai and Tirupati districts, leveraging our unique advantage as home to the nation’s premier spaceport at SDSC-SHAR. Sri Satya Sai will focus on research, satellite prototyping, and nurturing space-tech startups, while Tirupati will drive component manufacturing, satellite integration, and launch logistics. Through this initiative, supported by our AP Space Policy 4.0 (2025-2030), we aim to attract Rs 25,000 crore in investments and create over 35,000 jobs in the next decade, with provisions including stamp duty waivers, R&D grants, and a dedicated Rs 100 crore SpaceTech Fund,” Naidu posted on ‘X’.