CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is preparing an infrastructure roadmap for the low-altitude economy (LAE) as it seeks to position itself as India’s centre for drones and advanced aerial mobility. A top official told TNIE that the State Planning Commission has begun work on a strategy paper that will underpin the emerging sector.
LAE refers to the economic ecosystem centred around activities, businesses, and services conducted at altitudes below 3,000 metres above ground level. This sector is mainly driven by advancements in drone technology and the concept of advanced air mobility.
The LAE — covering operations up to 1,000 metres above ground and extending to 3,000 metres — spans manned and unmanned aerial systems and is seen globally as a transformative economic frontier. Tamil Nadu already has a head start. It set up India’s first common testing centre for drones at SIPCOT Vallam Vadagal with a Rs 45 crore investment, and through TIDCO it’s developing an ecosystem for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) training, testing and operations at Chettinad Airport under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII). “Tamil Nadu’s robust aerospace and defence base, anchored by HAL, BEL and DRDO facilities, alongside its 60-km automotive corridor known as the ‘Detroit of Asia’, gives it a strong industrial foundation,” sources in the industries department said.
The state plans to unveil its master plan at the Tamil Nadu Low Altitude Economy Forum 2025 next month. The roadmap is expected to outline vertiport development, drone corridors, training and certification pipelines, regulatory sandboxes and industry partnerships. Global players such as Airbus, Boeing’s Wisk Aero and China’s EHang are slated to participate along with Indian startups, including Garuda Aerospace, Dhaksha and ePlane.
Officials say the push is being enabled by India’s liberalised regulatory regime – from the Drone Rules 2021 and the National UTM Policy Framework to a production-linked incentive scheme for drones worth $16 million.
Recent DGCA guidelines on eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) certification and vertiport standards also signal regulatory readiness for advanced air mobility. Globally, the LAE is expanding at pace. China’s market grew from $49 billion in 2021 to $65 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit $450 billion by 2035. India’s drone market, though smaller at $562 million in 2024, is forecast to nearly triple by 2033.
Zuppa Geo, IIT-M & IAF sign MoU for joint research
CHENNAI: Chennai-based Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, IIT-Madras and the Indian Air Force’s 8 Base Repair Depot (8 BRD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop unmanned aerial and navigation systems for defence use. The MoU signed on Friday brings together Zuppa’s deep-tech expertise in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and navigation systems, IIT-Madras’s research and innovation ecosystem, and the operational experience of one of the Air Force’s key maintenance and overhaul units.