India: Drone manufacturing unit to be set up in UP

Kanpur: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Considering the value of 'drones' in various fields including disaster relief, agriculture, maintenance of law and order, a concrete action plan should be prepared to establish a drone manufacturing unit in the state."

He also asked the state to prepare its own manual. At present, there are no clear rules for flying drones in the state.

He  further said that the Union Civil Aviation Ministry has issued a policy in this regard. Accordingly, the state government should also prepare drone rules.

The manual should have clear provisions regarding the issuance of a drone airworthiness certificate, maintenance certificate, acceptance of existing drones, operator permits, student remote pilot license, remote pilot instructor authorisation, etc., to the drone users.

According to the government spokesman, the chief minister proposed the drone manufacturing unit, given the importance of unmanned aircraft in various fields such as disaster relief, agriculture, and law and order.

The IIT Kanpur will assist in starting certificate or diploma courses on drone technology in industrial training institutes, it is hoped.

Instructing the officials, the chief minister did not fail to mention that drones due to their accessibility, ease of use, can make a significant contribution to employment and economic development in remote and inaccessible areas.

Also, there is also huge employment potential in the field of drone manufacturing. Many companies want to set up their units in Uttar Pradesh, he said.

The chief minister asked the officials to approach other investors. He suggested that the Defence Corridor can be a useful area for this industry.