Karnataka eyes leadership in India’s drone economy as drone hub dreams take flight in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Positioning itself at the forefront of India’s fast-emerging drone economy, Karnataka has initiated fresh efforts to build a comprehensive drone innovation ecosystem in Bengaluru, with a strong focus on infrastructure creation, policy support and large-scale public adoption.At a high-level industry consultation organised on Thursday in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India (DFI), the state govt outlined plans to establish a dedicated drone flight testing facility near Bengaluru and proposed launching an annual “Bengaluru Drone Festival” to showcase the city’s growing leadership in drone technologies.“Karnataka is committed to leading India’s drone economy by moving decisively on infrastructure, policy enablement and real-world adoption,” IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge said during the meeting.

“Drones have the potential to significantly transform governance and public service delivery, and we are working to ensure Karnataka becomes the sought-after hub for this next wave of innovation,” he added.Officials from the department of electronics, IT-BT told TOI that the proposed drone testing facility near Bengaluru would be developed through an accelerated operational model, enabling early-stage industry access even as institutional partnerships, regulatory structures and supporting infrastructure are put in place.

“The meeting also discussed simplifying approval systems and standard operating procedures for emerging drone applications,” a senior official explained.The initiative comes at a time when several states are competing to attract investments in drone manufacturing and unmanned aerial technologies, a sector identified by the Centre as a crucial component of India’s deep-tech and defence innovation ecosystem.

Bengaluru already enjoys a strategic advantage with its strong aerospace, defence and deep-tech startup base, besides hosting Aero India, the country’s premier biennial air show.Beyond industrial applications, the Karnataka govt is also exploring wider deployment of drones across governance sectors including agriculture, rural development, disaster response, land surveys and urban planning. The state has already emerged as a pioneer in drone usage for 3D mapping for tax compliance, SVAMITVA village mapping and advanced police surveillance operations.The Kalaburagi police’s experiment with AI-powered drones such as Nimble-i and NS01 for surveillance operations, including number plate recognition and night monitoring in 2025, had earlier drawn national attention.Another major proposal discussed during the consultation was the launch of an annual “Bengaluru Drone Festival” featuring drone racing, hackathons, startup showcases and live public demonstrations aimed at strengthening Bengaluru’s brand as India’s drone capital.Representatives from companies including ideaForge, Asteria Aerospace, NewSpace Research & Technologies and several emerging startups participated in the consultation.