By enabling drones to be tested under real operational conditions, Odisha’s Rangeilunda ecosystem is set to deliver benefits beyond the UAV industry, BonV Aero has noted in a recent white paper.
Homegrown deep‑tech drone manufacturing startup BonV Aero has lauded Odisha’s Rangeilunda airstrip as India’s first dynamic aviation environment for structured testing of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms, in a white paper released recently.
Rangeilunda is the first commercial airport being developed as a live UAV testing and validation ecosystem. Unlike isolated campus facilities or project‑specific waivers, UAV platforms can be tested alongside operational aviation systems under public regulatory oversight at the airport.
The white paper outlines a phased roadmap from extended visual line of sight (EVLOS) through corridor‑based beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), designed to generate auditable safety evidence that directly informs aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rulemaking, rather than bypassing it.
“For India to fully realise the low‑altitude economy, drones must be tested not just for performance, but for how they integrate with real airspace, real institutions, and real public needs. Rangeilunda offers that rare opportunity where technology, governance, and operations can evolve together,” said Satyabrata Satapathy, Founder & CEO, BonV Aero.
The paper, carrying a foreword by the Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, Government of Odisha, frames low‑altitude airspace—the 0-1,000 metres above ground level (AGL) layer—as productive national infrastructure analogous to highways or telecommunications spectrum.
Broader Public Gains
By enabling drone systems to be tested under real operational conditions, the Rangeilunda ecosystem is expected to deliver benefits extending beyond the UAV industry itself. These include the creation of a specialised technical workforce, the emergence of MSME supply chains in electronics, composites and software, and improved state capabilities in disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and medical logistics.
Operating within live civilian airspace under regulatory oversight, every validated operation generates safety data, procedures, and standards that help regulators scale drone operations responsibly, effectively transforming low‑altitude airspace into a productive national infrastructure layer.
“This white paper reflects how the low‑altitude economy can move from policy intent to operational reality. By using an existing public aviation asset like Rangeilunda, Odisha is demonstrating how drone ecosystems can be governed, tested, and scaled responsibly within civilian airspace,” said Baibhav Patel, Head, Government Affairs, BonV Aero.
Aligned with frameworks of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for 2024‑25, the paper is intended to inform national rulemaking and serve as a replicable state‑led model under DGCA oversight.