Hyderabad: The Telangana Tourism Department on Friday, January 16, launched a two-day Drone Festival at the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad.
The Telangana Drone Festival is designed as the first public drone sports festival in the state. It will be held from 9 am to 2 pm on January 16 and 17.
The festival is aimed at encouraging youth participation in emerging aviation technologies, creating awareness about drone applications in sports, defence, disaster management and industry. It also aims to position Telangana as a hub for drone innovation and aero-sports tourism.
The event features pilots and teams participating under international MultiGP racing standards with full safety protocols, ensuring professional-grade competition.
According to a press release, the festival blends Sankranti with next-generation aviation sports under the theme “From Kites to Drones,” celebrating how traditional sky-bound festivities are evolving into high-tech sporting experiences.
On the first day, there will be intense competitive action and aerial demonstrations, such as drone soccer matches, where teams pilot drones inside aerial goals in fast-paced, football-style games and high-speed seeding and qualifier drone races, determining rankings for finals.
There will also be an apex challenge race, showcasing professional FPV pilots racing through illuminated
obstacle tracks at very high speeds. Another event during the first day is the remote control (RC) plane airshow, featuring aerobatic aircraft performing loops, dives and formation flying over the stadium.
On Saturday, January 17, the final rounds of the above mentioned events will take place in the stadium. This includes drone soccer finals, crowning the winning team of the tournament, and the RC plane airshow repeat performance that would be held in the evening.
Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao will distribute prizes to winners during the closing ceremony.
This post was last modified on January 16, 2026 3:11 pm