Drone hub and manufacturing cluster to gain pace

50 acres of land reserved in Auric for production and research of drones

VAIBHAV PARWAT

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maharashtra government is planning to set up a drone hub and manufacturing cluster project in Aurangabad Industrial City (Auric) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The government has already discussed the plan with the Central government and has reserved 50 acres of land at Auric for the production and research of drones. The project also includes the establishment of an independent organization for drone expertise. The State government aims to prepare for the increasing use of drones in the future with this initiative.

Drone industry to grow to Rs 30,000

Drone manufacturing industry is expected to grow to over Rs 30,000 crore in the next three years with the drone services industry being touted to generate over five lakh jobs during the same period. Moreover, there will be a need of around one lakh drone pilots in the future to handle various kinds of drones. This creates a whole lot of possibilities for the local businesses and the youths.

Employment centres for drone clusters

In order to make India a global hub for drones under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had requested union Ministries to encourage various entities under their Ministry to promote use of drones. The Maharashtra government plans to establish employment centers to supply quality-educated and skilled manpower required by the drone cluster and other sectors. These institutions will accelerate local economic development in the area.

Medical device park and education hub plans

Apart from the drone cluster, the State government has also proposed the development of a medical device park on 350 acres of land at Auric under the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor. The state has requested a grant of Rs 450 crore from the Centre for this project. However, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers had rejected the last proposal. Furthermore, it has decided to establish an integrated educational and health care complex (Medical Education Hub) on one thousand acres each in Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur. This project aims to attract renowned universities from around the world and improve the quality of health services in the state.