Odisha To Set Up National UAV Test Corridor At Rangeilunda
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

Odisha To Set Up National UAV Test Corridor At Rangeilunda

The Government of Odisha has announced plans to establish India’s National Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Test and Innovation Corridor at Rangeilunda Airport in partnership with BonV Aero. The announcement was made at Wings India 2026 and marks the first time an operational civilian airport in India will be repurposed as a live UAV testing and certification ecosystem. Officials described the initiative as designed to provide an operational environment for aircraft trials while retaining civil aviation safety standards.

The corridor will allow UAVs to be trialled in real, dynamic airspace rather than within laboratory or fenced test zones and will focus on low altitude operations up to 1,000 metres. This altitude band is increasingly seen as critical for applications in logistics, defence support, urban mobility, disaster response and aerial surveillance. The move is intended to broaden testing scenarios and to accelerate technological validation under authentic conditions.

The project is expected to house facilities for certification, maintenance and research and to support manufacturers, service providers and academic collaborators seeking operational data and regulatory feedback. By situating trials at an active airport, authorities aim to study integration protocols, traffic deconfliction and safety management in mixed airspace. Industry observers say such a corridor could shorten development cycles by enabling iterative testing that mirrors real world constraints. Stakeholder engagement is expected to inform safety protocols and operational standards.

Implementation will require infrastructure upgrades, coordination with aviation regulators and the establishment of procedures for controlled experimentation across civilian operations. The initiative may strengthen Odisha’s role in the national drone ecosystem and create opportunities for local skills development and enterprise linked to UAV operations. The operation is expected to require phased testing and documented safety reviews before full scale deployment. Further technical and commercial details were indicated to follow through official channels.

The Government of Odisha has announced plans to establish India’s National Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Test and Innovation Corridor at Rangeilunda Airport in partnership with BonV Aero. The announcement was made at Wings India 2026 and marks the first time an operational civilian airport in India will be repurposed as a live UAV testing and certification ecosystem. Officials described the initiative as designed to provide an operational environment for aircraft trials while retaining civil aviation safety standards. The corridor will allow UAVs to be trialled in real, dynamic airspace rather than within laboratory or fenced test zones and will focus on low altitude operations up to 1,000 metres. This altitude band is increasingly seen as critical for applications in logistics, defence support, urban mobility, disaster response and aerial surveillance. The move is intended to broaden testing scenarios and to accelerate technological validation under authentic conditions. The project is expected to house facilities for certification, maintenance and research and to support manufacturers, service providers and academic collaborators seeking operational data and regulatory feedback. By situating trials at an active airport, authorities aim to study integration protocols, traffic deconfliction and safety management in mixed airspace. Industry observers say such a corridor could shorten development cycles by enabling iterative testing that mirrors real world constraints. Stakeholder engagement is expected to inform safety protocols and operational standards. Implementation will require infrastructure upgrades, coordination with aviation regulators and the establishment of procedures for controlled experimentation across civilian operations. The initiative may strengthen Odisha’s role in the national drone ecosystem and create opportunities for local skills development and enterprise linked to UAV operations. The operation is expected to require phased testing and documented safety reviews before full scale deployment. Further technical and commercial details were indicated to follow through official channels.

Next Story
Real Estate

LML Realty Launches Cinema Campaign on Industrial Vision

LML Realty has launched a cinema advertising campaign in partnership with PVR INOX across 81 screens in Gurugram and Faridabad, showcasing the brand’s transformation from a mobility icon to an industrial infrastructure developer.The campaign features a cinematic brand film tracing LML’s journey since 1972, beginning with its iconic scooters and highlighting its evolution into creating infrastructure solutions that support India’s manufacturing growth.The film focuses on LML Industrial Park at Jhirka Valley, the company’s flagship industrial development approved under the Haryana Govern..

Next Story
Real Estate

IIM Ahmedabad Publishes Case Study on HoABL’s Business Model

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has published a case study on The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), examining the company’s digital-first consumer journey and business model that created India’s branded land category.Titled “HoABL: Ready for Scaling Up”, the case study has been published by the IIMA Case Centre and co-authored by Sourav Borah, Associate Professor of Marketing at IIMA, and Dr Aparna Kansal of IMT Ghaziabad. IIMA case studies are used across management and executive education programmes to help students and business leaders analyse strategic decision..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Advait Energy and MEIL Partner for Energy Transition Projects

Advait Energy Transitions Limited (AETL) and Manipal Energy Infratech Limited (MEIL), a company of The Manipal Group, have entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on power and energy transition opportunities across India and international markets.The partnership aims to combine AETL’s expertise in innovative energy technologies and manufacturing with MEIL’s EPC execution capabilities and project management experience. The collaboration will focus on opportunities across Power Transmission & Distribution, Renewable Energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement