Prof. Murty said a strong drone ecosystem would require collaboration among government, academia, industry and the innovation community.
Hyderabad:TiHAN‑IIT Hyderabad and the Andhra Pradesh Drones Corporation (APDC), the state’s nodal agency for drone development, have signed an MoU to collaborate on the proposed Drone City in Kurnool and the wider drone ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and IIT Hyderabad director Prof. B.S. Murty.
Under the agreement, TiHAN will act as APDC’s technical and knowledge partner, providing research, technical and strategic inputs for planning, developing and operationalising Drone City and related infrastructure.
The collaboration will cover drone research and development, UAV platforms, sensors and payloads, AI and machine learning, autonomous systems, communications technologies and unmanned aircraft system traffic management. It will also include skilling, innovation and capacity‑building programmes, the university said.
The two organisations will work on policy, standards and operational best practices, along with joint research projects, proof‑of‑concept initiatives, pilot programmes and innovation challenges. Training modules, certification programmes and workshops are proposed for government officials, industry, startups and students.
Prof. Murty said a strong drone ecosystem would require collaboration among government, academia, industry and the innovation community. He added that the partnership would combine Andhra Pradesh’s plans for Drone City with IIT Hyderabad’s capabilities in research, technology development and testing.
APDC, incorporated in 2018 and headquartered in Vijayawada, is responsible for promoting and deploying drone technologies across governance, logistics, agriculture and public services. Under the state’s Drone Policy 4.0 (2024–29), it is also working on drone delivery networks in Amaravati and the proposed Drone City in Kurnool.
