Chennai, Nov 14: Tamil Nadu plans to establish commercial drone corridors in 10 districts, allowing specified activities including goods delivery, agricultural spraying and construction monitoring without prior police clearance.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

The proposal is outlined in the state government's Higher Education Department vision document. It seeks to widen the commercial application of drones and create a market for locally manufactured equipment.

Higher Education Secretary Dheeraj Kumar said the initiative would be implemented with support from the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco), which functions under the Industries Department. The corridors are intended to simplify procedures for operators undertaking approved activities.

Source: New Kerala (IANS)

Reports on the proposal say locally made drones are to be mandatory for police surveillance and farming tasks, as the state pushes to build a domestic drone industry alongside the new corridors.

K. Senthil Kumar, director-in-charge of the Centre for Aerospace Research (CASR) at Anna University, said the proposed corridors would create business opportunities for drone manufacturers and companies working on related technologies.

The drone pilot training centre at Anna University's Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) campus has trained around 6,000 pilots so far. The state drone corporation, which operates under the Higher Education Department, has also been promoting drone applications across different sectors.

Source: Daily Kiran (IANS)

Alongside the corridor proposal, Anna University is preparing to begin drone trials at the Chettinad Aeronautical Aviation Hub in Kanadukathan. Tidco has granted in-principle approval for the university to use the airfield.