Odisha to set up India’s first National UAV Test Corridor at Rangeilunda, partners with BonV Aero
In a major push to India’s deep-tech and aviation landscape, the Government of Odisha announced the establishment of the National UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Test and Innovation Corridor at Rangeilunda in Odisha. The facility is set to become the country’s first operational commercial airport repurposed as a live, real-world testing ground for drone technology.
The announcement was made at the Wings India 2026 summit, where the state government formalised a partnership with BonV Aero, a homegrown deep-tech startup, to lead the indigenous development of the nation’s unmanned aviation future.
Unlike traditional “fenced-off” laboratory zones, the Rangeilunda corridor will allow drones to be tested in dynamic, low-altitude airspace (up to 1,000 metres). The initiative aims to formalise this airspace layer as a critical national infrastructure asset, on par with highways, ports, and digital spectrum.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Smt. Usha Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, Government of Odisha, said, “Odisha is building infrastructure for the next era of mobility. With deep-tech innovators like BonV Aero leading indigenous capability, Rangeilunda will become a national proving ground where regulators and industry jointly shape the low-altitude economy. Our goal is to contribute to national policy, not merely implement it.”
Aligned with the Centre’s B-MAAN scheme, the corridor will be developed in phases. It will focus on advanced aerial capabilities, including swarm testing, AI-driven navigation, autonomous airspace management, and high-density UAV operations.
Satyabrata Satapathy, CEO and Co-Founder of BonV Aero, noted that the ecosystem would drastically reduce the time needed for technology readiness. “This allows us to validate autonomy stacks, propulsion systems, and mission reliability in real-world conditions. It gives Indian startups a credible launchpad to scale globally,” Satapathy said.
The corridor is also designed to function as a regulatory sandbox for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. It will leverage Odisha’s diverse coastal and hinterland terrain to support missions across defence logistics, disaster response, and commercial delivery.
BonV Aero recently gained international attention after setting a world record for heavy-lift drone operations at high altitudes and successfully completing a 60-km BVLOS mission with a 20-kg payload.
With this move, Odisha positions itself as the primary national hub for aerospace innovation, seeking to attract researchers, startups, and global players to a unified airspace environment.
Also Read: BonV Aero’s Heavy-Lift UAV Demonstrates Civilian Logistics Potential in Ladakh
