Piyush Goyal Lays Foundation Stone for Drone City and Space City in Andhra Pradesh

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal virtually laid the foundation stone for Drone City and Space City in Andhra Pradesh during the 30th CII Partnership Summit held at Visakhapatnam.

Key Highlights

• India’s First Drone City at Orvakal

• Andhra Pradesh is constructing India’s first Drone City at the Orvakal Industrial Node, near Kurnool.
• Spread over 300 acres, the facility is dedicated entirely to drone manufacturing, innovation and testing.
• Aims to make India self-reliant in high-quality drone production, supporting sectors such as defence, logistics, and disaster management.
• Minister Goyal highlighted the effective use of drones, including their role in Operation Sindoor.

• Space City Near Sriharikota

• A new Space City is planned near Sriharikota, India’s premier space launch hub.
• Expected to strengthen India’s space ecosystem by attracting investments in satellite, launch-vehicle, and space-tech industries.
• Complements the region’s proximity to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).

• Investment-Friendly Measures by Andhra Pradesh

• Minister Goyal praised the state government for incentivising industry through measures including:
  • 100% SGST refund via an Escrow account.
  • 20% reimbursement on capital investment.
• The Escrow mechanism ensures neutral, transparent, and interference-free disbursal of incentives — a strong message to investors.

• Strategic Vision

• Both projects align with India’s broader goal of strengthening domestic manufacturing in drones and space technology.
• Expected to boost innovation, create skilled jobs and position Andhra Pradesh as a key technology hub.

Source: PIB