Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the state will become the “Drone Capital of India” during the Amaravati Drone Summit 2024, held in Mangalagiri. As part of his vision to make Andhra Pradesh a leader in drone technology, Naidu revealed plans to allocate 300 acres of land in Orvakal, Kurnool District, for a dedicated drone hub. This initiative aims to make Andhra Pradesh the top destination for drone manufacturing, innovation, and research.

In addition to developing the drone hub, Naidu also outlined an ambitious plan to train 35,000 drone pilots to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in this industry. “Drones will play a crucial role in agriculture, healthcare, traffic management, and even disaster relief,” Naidu said, pointing to the use of drones during the recent floods in Vijayawada, where they delivered food and water to stranded people.

During the two-day summit, Naidu promised that within 15 days, the state government would release a comprehensive drone policy designed to attract drone manufacturers and create a business-friendly environment for innovators. This policy will make Andhra Pradesh a testing ground for drone applications, with successful pilot projects set to expand across the state and the country.

He assured that drones would be used extensively in police work for surveillance and monitoring, especially to keep an eye on criminal activities.

Reflecting on his role in driving India’s IT revolution in the 1990s, Naidu shared how his initiatives, such as launching Hyderabad’s HiTech City through a public-private partnership, helped establish the city as a major technology hub. He credited his collaboration with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for opening up India’s telecom sector, which paved the way for the country’s mobile technology boom. “Back then, we brought global tech giants like Microsoft to India, and now, we’re doing the same with drones,” Naidu said.

The Chief Minister praised the current leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating, “India is on track to becoming the third-largest economy by 2047 under Modi’s leadership, and with initiatives like JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) and Ayushman Bharat, we’ve strengthened the country’s digital and healthcare infrastructure.”

Last month, two young paddleboarders found themselves stranded in the ocean, pushed 2,000 feet from the shore by strong winds and currents. Thanks to the deployment of a drone, rescuers kept an eye on them the whole time and safely brought them aboard a rescue boat within minutes.

In North Carolina, the Oak Island Fire Department is one of a few in the country using drone technology for ocean rescues. Firefighter-turned-drone pilot Sean Barry explained the drone’s capabilities as it was demonstrated on a windy day. 

“This drone is capable of flying in all types of weather and environments,” Barry said. 

Equipped with a camera that can switch between modes — including infrared to spot people in distress — responders can communicate instructions through a speaker. It also can carry life-preserving equipment.

The device is activated by a CO2 cartridge when it comes in contact with water. Once triggered, it inflates into a long tube, approximately 26 inches long, providing distressed swimmers something to hold on to.

In a real-life rescue, after a 911 call from shore, the drone spotted a swimmer in distress. It released two floating tubes, providing the swimmer with buoyancy until help arrived.

Like many coastal communities, Oak Island’s population can swell from about 10,000 to 50,000 during the summer tourist season. Riptides, which are hard to detect on the surface, can happen at any time.

Every year, about 100 people die due to rip currents on U.S. beaches. More than 80% of beach rescues involve rip currents, if you’re caught in one, rescuers advise to not panic or try to fight it, but try to float or swim parallel to the coastline to get out of the current.

Oak Island Fire Chief Lee Price noted that many people underestimate the force of rip currents.

“People are, ‘Oh, I’m a good swimmer. I’m gonna go out there,’ and then they get in trouble,” Price said.

For Price, the benefit of drones isn’t just faster response times but also keeping rescuers safe. Through the camera and speaker, they can determine if someone isn’t in distress.

Price said many people might not be aware of it. 

“It’s like anything as technology advances, it takes a little bit for everybody to catch up and get used to it,” said Price.

In a demonstration, Barry showed how the drone can bring a safety rope to a swimmer while rescuers prepare to pull the swimmer to shore.

“The speed and accuracy that this gives you … rapid deployment, speed, accuracy, and safety overall,” Price said. “Not just safety for the victim, but safety for our responders.”

Manuel Bojorquez

Manuel Bojorquez is a CBS News national correspondent based in Miami. He joined CBS News in 2012 as a Dallas-based correspondent and was promoted to national correspondent for the network’s Miami bureau in January 2017.