Hyderabad: Telangana is aiming to position itself as the ‘defence strategic hub of India’ by developing a strong ecosystem for unmanned systems and advanced defence manufacturing, Minister D Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday.
He said the state government is preparing a comprehensive roadmap to transform Telangana into a global leader in defence innovation, with a special focus on unmanned aerial systems, drone technologies, and aerospace manufacturing, a press release said.
As part of the initiative, the state plans to establish a drone manufacturing and testing corridor to boost indigenous defence capabilities, he added.
The state IT and Industries minister was speaking at the ‘bhumi puja’ ceremony for the proposed JSW Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) facility at the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in Maheshwaram, near Hyderabad.
Observing that drones, satellites, cyber systems, and artificial intelligence have become integral to modern warfare, he said achieving self-reliance in drone manufacturing is crucial for national security in the current geopolitical environment.
The minister noted that India’s domestic defence UAV and drone market is projected to grow to USD 4.4-5 billion by 2030, adding that Telangana is positioning itself to leverage this growth by creating a world-class manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.
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