Tamil Nadu to come up with India's first drone common testing centre

TIDCO is the nodal agency for the implementation of the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor

Tamil Nadu is set to host India's first drone common testing centre under the Defence Testing Infrastructure (DTI) scheme. The facility, costing Rs 45 crore, will be established on 2.3 acres of land at the SIPCOT Industrial Park, Vallam Vadagal near Sriperumbudur.

The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) had floated a request for a proposal to identify industrial partners for establishing this testing centre as a joint venture, in accordance with the guidelines of the DTI Scheme. A consortium of companies comprising Keltron, Sense Image Technologies, Standards Testing and Compliance, and Avishka Retailers was selected to partner with TIDCO in establishing the facility. They were chosen based on their response to a transparent bidding process, and the project is estimated to cost Rs 45 crore.

"Setting up India's first Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drone) Common Testing Centre here in Tamil Nadu highlights our chief minister's commitment to building a thriving defence and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the state. We are attracting investors in this sector by addressing the industry's needs in an innovative manner," stated TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce.

He further added, "This testing centre will enable Tamil Nadu to become a preferred destination for aerospace and defence companies looking to establish their Indian operations. Many other suggestions were received at a recent round table with representatives from the aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors. We are committed to acting on these suggestions, and positive outcomes will be seen soon."

TIDCO is the nodal agency responsible for the implementation of the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC). As part of the TNDIC implementation, the Government of Tamil Nadu has adopted a multi-pronged strategy, one facet of which is creating an enabling ecosystem that includes Common Testing Centres for the Aerospace and Defence Industry. At present, the lack of test centres that can support the Aerospace and Defence Standards outside DPSU/DRDO represents a barrier to entry for many organisations. TIDCO has planned to mitigate this barrier by establishing test centres for multiple sub-domains, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Currently, the testing for UAS (Drones) is conducted component-wise at various centres, diminishing organisational efficiency and escalating costs. An integrated facility of this nature is only available with DRDO at Chitradurga, Karnataka, and is reserved for its own use.