Tamil Nadu now has its own drone manufacturing corporation — the Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Corporation — established at a cost of ₹10 crore at the Anna University. The corporation will design, manufacture and trade all types of drones and allied systems.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said drones were used by the State police department and later by the Disaster Management Department to conduct surveys in mines and for aerial photography. The need for drones is rising and universities should emerge as research centres.

The Centre for Aerospace Research on the Madras Institute of Technology campus of Anna University has been producing drones with financial assistance from the State government.

40,000 job opportunities

In December 2020, Mylswamy Annadurai, Vice-President, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, and Chairman, National Design and Research Forum, said the State is likely to have a drone corporation that will help generate around 40,000 employment opportunities and better irrigation management.

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The Demand for Grants for the Industries Department tabled in the State Assembly in August 2021 said the drone survey project will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹25 crore per year.

These drones will help Tamil Nadu government curb illicit mining of minerals through survey and monitoring of around 1,700 quarries. Illicit mining is a headache for the State government, which is losing revenue as nearly 60 per cent of the excavated minerals getting ‘leaked.’ The government gets revenue only for the remaining 40 per cent, the documents tabled in the House said.

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