Odisha’s Strategic Move to Become India’s Drone Capital

Odisha has announced plans to establish the National UAV Test and Innovation Corridor at Rangeilunda, which will become India’s first operational commercial airport to be repurposed as a live drone testing facility.

The initiative will enable unmanned aerial vehicles to be tested in real, dynamic airspace rather than in controlled, fenced laboratory environments, marking a significant shift in how next-generation aerial systems are validated and scaled in India. The announcement was made at Wings India 2026 in Hyderabad.

Speaking at a signing ceremony with BonV Aero, Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department, Government of Odisha, said the state was laying the groundwork for the next phase of mobility infrastructure. She noted that Rangeilunda would function as a national proving ground where regulators and industry stakeholders could collaboratively shape the low-altitude aviation ecosystem, adding that Odisha’s objective was to contribute to national policy formulation rather than merely implement it.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.