The Amaravati Drone Summit-2024 concluded on Wednesday at the CK Convention Centre, drawing large crowds on its final day. The two-day event, organized to showcase advancements in drone technology, attracted visitors from across Andhra Pradesh, including farmers from Guntur, NTR districts, and other regions eager to explore the latest innovations.
A total of 57 stalls, occupied by leading drone manufacturers, displayed a variety of drones designed for diverse applications such as agriculture, security, military use, disaster management, healthcare, communication restoration, and food delivery. Among the highlights were drones specifically engineered for farming operations, offering solutions like spraying liquid-based fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides—an innovation that particularly caught the attention of the farming community.
Farmers showed great interest in the small and medium-category drones, inquiring about the time required to cover an acre with fertilizers or pesticides. The technology’s potential to address labor shortages in the agricultural sector was a major talking point, with many attendees seeing drones as a crucial step toward more efficient farming practices. Shashank, a third-year BSc agriculture student at Vignan College, commented, “The possibilities of drone use in the agriculture sector are immense. Drones would help farmers tackle labor shortages and improve productivity.”
The summit also marked a significant step toward positioning Andhra Pradesh as a leading hub for drone manufacturing. IIT Tirupati director Professor K.N. Satyanarayana announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IIT Tirupati and the AP Drone Corporation. This collaboration aims to build a positive ecosystem for drone manufacturing, with the goal of transforming Andhra Pradesh into a pioneer in this rapidly growing industry. “We are working on modalities to turn AP into a leader in drone manufacturing in the country,” Professor Satyanarayana said.
Dinesh Kumar, Managing Director of AP Drone Corporation, shared that over 11,000 people attended the summit, with more than 4,000 actively participating in discussions on the potential of drone technologies. He noted the importance of the partnerships formed during the summit, including two key MoUs signed on the last day: one with IIT Tirupati and its Navavishkar I Hub Foundation, and another with the Quality Council of India (QCI).
These pacts aim to drive innovation, quality assurance, and advancements in drone technology, laying the groundwork for a thriving drone ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh. The non-binding agreement with IIT Tirupati will accelerate research and development in drone systems, focusing on advanced autonomous drones, AI-powered analytics, and geospatial integration. Meanwhile, the QCI partnership will ensure robust quality standards and technical frameworks to support drone applications across various industries.
The Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 has clearly set the stage for Andhra Pradesh to emerge as a key player in the drone technology landscape, with a strong focus on fostering innovation, quality, and industry partnerships.
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