India Showcases Global Leadership at CII Summit; Drone City Launch Steals Focus

Shri Goyal highlighted that India’s growth narrative is now powered by semiconductors, clean energy, electronics manufacturing, aerospace, EVs, and innovation-led enterprises.

 

The 30th CII Partnership Summit 2025, held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, emerged as a powerful showcase of India’s rising global economic leadership. With the theme “Technology, Trust & Trade – Navigating the New Geoeconomic Order,” the Summit brought together top policymakers, global industry leaders, innovators, investors and strategic thinkers. The event was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Governor Shri Syed Abdul Nazeer.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, delivered a landmark address that underscored India’s transformation into a trusted global partner, driven by consistent policy reforms, expanding industrial capacity and a powerful ecosystem of innovation. He praised the significant contribution of Andhra Pradesh toward achieving the national development agenda under Viksit Bharat @ 2047, citing the state’s growing influence in emerging tech sectors.

India’s Economic Vision Anchored in Trust and Technology

Shri Goyal highlighted that India’s growth narrative is now powered by semiconductors, clean energy, electronics manufacturing, aerospace, EVs, and innovation-led enterprises. He stressed that trust, stability and sustainability form the triad of India’s economic framework, enabling investors and industries worldwide to rely on India as a resilient economic powerhouse.

He pointed out that India’s global partnerships are deepening as the country takes the lead in supply-chain diversification, green technology transitions, and digital trade frameworks, making it a central pillar in reshaping the geoeconomic order.

India Launches Its First Drone City at Orvakal

One of the most consequential announcements of the Summit was the launch of India’s first-ever Drone City at Orvakal in Kurnool district. Developed jointly by the Government of India and Government of Andhra Pradesh, the 300-acre Drone City marks a giant leap in India’s ambition to become a world leader in unmanned aerial systems.

Key Features of the Drone City:

• World’s largest common drone testing facility

• Integrated ecosystem for manufacturing, R&D, prototyping, repair and servicing

• Expected to create over 40,000 jobs

• Designed as a unified innovation hub for drones, aerospace systems, AI-based navigation, and defence-grade unmanned platforms

The launch follows the recent foundation stone laying of Kopparthy and Orvakal Industrial Nodes by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 16 October 2025, reflecting rapid progress in India’s industrial corridor development.

Andhra Pradesh: The New Epicentre of Industrial Growth

The Summit placed strong emphasis on Andhra Pradesh’s rising role in national industrial development. The state is emerging as a powerhouse for:

• Semiconductors and electronics manufacturing

• Defence and aerospace production

• Green hydrogen and clean energy systems

• Coastal logistics and export-oriented industries

• Drone technology and next-gen R&D ecosystems

Union Minister Shri Goyal commended Andhra Pradesh for its strategic positioning along India’s industrial corridors and its proactive commitment to investor-friendly policies.

NICDC Leads India’s Next-Gen Industrial City Vision

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) showcased its cutting-edge initiatives and ongoing projects designed to propel India into the future of Industry 5.0.

During a key plenary titled “Next-Gen Industrial Corridors 2.0: Building Smart, Connected Ecosystems for Industry 5.0,” Shri Rajat Kumar Saini, CEO & MD of NICDC, outlined NICDC’s vision for integrating:

• Renewable energy systems

• Automation and robotics

• Data-driven governance

• High-speed digital infrastructure

• Sustainable and resilient industrial planning

He highlighted that NICDC’s Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities—at Krishnapatnam, Orvakal and Kopparthy—represent the next era of industrial transformation, enabling global manufacturing standards, seamless logistics and futuristic infrastructure.

Strong Global Investor Response

NICDC’s pavilion became one of the most visited platforms at the Summit, attracting:

• Global manufacturing firms

• Strategic investors

• Technology companies

• Policymakers

• Logistics and infrastructure service providers

Visitors expressed strong interest in:

• Land allotment in Industrial Smart Cities

• Investment facilitation mechanisms

• Logistics platforms like ULIP and LDB

• Digital infrastructure tools such as IILB

• Opportunities under PM MITRA parks for textiles and manufacturing

The Summit reflected robust international confidence in India’s ability to offer world-class industrial ecosystems backed by transparent governance and technological leadership.

Building the Industrial Corridors of the Future

As India’s lead agency for industrial infrastructure development, NICDC continues to develop Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities across:

• Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)

• Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC)

• Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)

• East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC)

• And additional nationwide logistics-driven corridors

With a focus on technology integration, sustainability, digital innovation and inclusive growth, NICDC is driving India’s transition toward Industry 5.0—where human-centric design and advanced technology converge to redefine industrial productivity.

A New Chapter in India’s Global Rise

The 30th CII Partnership Summit concluded with a clear message: India is ready to lead the next era of global economic transformation.

From Drone City development to smart industrial corridors, from investor confidence to technological innovation, India is positioning itself as an indispensable player in the emerging geoeconomic architecture.