CM Chandrababu Naidu launches Drone Mart Portal to ensure access to all
Developed by the AP Drone Corporation, the portal connects drone service providers with users, especially farmers, for tasks such as pesticide spraying, crop monitoring, and land surveys. It also supports services in infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, security, and mapping.
Customers can directly negotiate charges with service providers through the portal, ensuring flexibility, affordability, and transparency. The platform integrates government departments, private agencies, and drone operators to streamline access and boost the adoption of drone technology.
'Ensuring drone services are available at reasonable prices will boost their adoption,' Naidu said, emphasising the government's commitment to bringing cutting-edge solutions to public service delivery.
Officials present at the launch included Chief Secretary Vijayanand, IT Secretary Katamneni Bhaskar, and other senior officials. The chief minister urged departments to expand the portal's services to benefit more sectors and strengthen Andhra Pradesh's tech-driven governance model.
FiberNet's revival on cards, 10 lakh connections targeted
Alongside3 the drone initiative, Chief Minister Naidu also announced an ambitious plan to revive the Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet, a flagship digital connectivity project from his previous term.
In a review meeting held at the Secretariat, Naidu blamed the previous YSRCP government for mismanaging the project, citing a drop in active connections from 8.7 lakh in 2019 to 4.5 lakh by 2025. He alleged misuse of funds, unjustified staff expansion from 130 to 1,350, and politically motivated appointments. An investigation has been ordered into the irregularities.
The government now aims to restore 8–10 lakh connections by leveraging Rs 1,900 crore under the Centre's Amended BharatNet Programme (2025–2035). Upgrades include transitioning 1,692 gram panchayats in Chittoor and Visakhapatnam to ring architecture and connecting 480 new panchayats with Rs 430 crore in funding. A Special Purpose Vehicle will manage implementation. To address service decline and rising subscription costs from Rs 149 to Rs 350, Naidu directed officials to accelerate vendor selection for set-top boxes and explore public-private partnerships for remote connectivity. BSNL will oversee the project under BharatNet norms.
Andhra Pradesh, which has already laid 78,355 km of optical fibre, is targeting 2 lakh km. The State allocated Rs 192.5 crore for capital expenditure and Rs 66.76 crore for operations, with Rs 67.14 crore support from BharatNet Phase 2.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Luxury cars to rev up, EVs in slow lane
Govt finally relaxed customs duty rates on imported cars with the UK trade deal, paving the way for tariffs to come down from highs of over 100 per cent to as low as 10 per cent, benefitting ultra-luxury car brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover, Rolls-Royce , Bentley and Aston Martin . However, govt has delayed the import duty concessions when it comes to electrics and other green cars, the measure being initiated to protect domestic players looking to produce high-value clean cars. "There are no concessions given to electrics, hybrids, and hydrogen-powered vehicles in the first five years," an official said. In petrol and diesel categories, lower tariffs can be enjoyed for a limited number of vehicles as govt has imposed quotas and limits to protect the domestic makers and also curb mass-scale shipments. For large-engine petrol cars above 3000cc and diesel cars over 2500cc - traditionally luxury imports - India has committed to lowering current 100 per cent + customs duty to 10 per cent over 15 years, within a quota starting at 10,000 units and rising to 19,000 in year five, according to an analysis by Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a think tank. For mid-sized cars (1500-2500cc diesel/up to 3000cc petrol), a 50 per cent in-quota duty applies initially, falling to 10 per cent by year five. Small cars under 1500cc follow a similar tariff reduction path with a growing quota. "These in-quota vehicles enjoy sharply reduced duties, while out-of-quota imports still face tariffs ranging from 95 per cent to 50per cent, depending on vehicle size and year," GTRI said. In electrics, market access has been given mostly in the high-price segment of vehicles priced above £80,000 (around Rs 94 lakh). "For vehicles priced below £40,000, no market access provided, ensuring complete protection for the mass-market EV segment in which India seeks global leadership," the official said. While the duty cuts will happen only once the UK Parliament approves the agreement (possibly by the middle of next year), analysts believe that the duty reduction with the UK may pave the way for similar measures with other countries and trading blocs as well. "This is India's first-ever auto tariff concession in any FTA, and it's likely to trigger similar demands from Japan, the EU, South Korea, and the US," GTRI added.
Economic Times
22 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Sellowrap Industries IPO opens today; Check all details here
Sellowrap Industries launches its Rs 30.28 crore IPO today, priced at Rs 79-83 per share, aiming for NSE SME listing on August 1. Synopsis Sellowrap Industries is launching its initial public offering today. The IPO aims to raise funds for expansion and working capital. The price band is Rs 79-83 per share. The IPO will remain open until July 29. Listing on NSE SME is scheduled for August 1. The company manufactures auto parts and supplies to domestic and global markets. Auto parts maker Sellowrap Industries will open its Rs 30.28 crore IPO today with a price band of Rs 79–83 per share. The issue is entirely a fresh issue of 36.48 lakh equity shares and will close on July 29. Listing is slated for August 1 on NSE SME. ADVERTISEMENT The lot size is 1,600 shares, requiring a minimum investment of Rs 2,65,600 for retail investors. The IPO is witnessing modest demand in the unofficial market, with a grey market premium (GMP) of around Rs 14, implying a potential 17% listing gain. Proceeds from the fresh issue will be used for capital expenditure towards purchase of plant and machinery, infrastructure development and other auxiliary equipment. The funds will also be deployed for funding the working capital requirements of the company and general corporate purposes. Sellowrap, founded in 1983, manufactures plastic injection moulding parts, PU foam mouldings, labels, and sealing components for the automotive and white goods company has four manufacturing facilities in Gurugram, Pune, Ranipet, and Kancheepuram and supplies to marquee OEMs domestically and globally. It exports to Brazil, Germany, the UK, and other key markets. ADVERTISEMENT In FY25, the company clocked a revenue of Rs 163.3 crore, up 17% YoY, and net profit grew 68% to Rs 9.97 crore. Gretex Corporate Services is the book-running lead manager of the Sellowrap Industries IPO, while Purva Sharegistry India is the registrar. ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel) Nikita Papers IPO opens on May 27, price band set at Rs 95-104 per share Nikita Papers IPO opens on May 27, price band set at Rs 95-104 per share Why gold prices could surpass $4,000: JP Morgan's bullish outlook explained Why gold prices could surpass $4,000: JP Morgan's bullish outlook explained Cyient shares fall over 9% after Q4 profit declines, core business underperforms Cyient shares fall over 9% after Q4 profit declines, core business underperforms L&T Technology Services shares slide 7% after Q4 profit dips L&T Technology Services shares slide 7% after Q4 profit dips Trump-Powell standoff puts U.S. Rate policy in crosshairs: Who will blink first? Trump-Powell standoff puts U.S. Rate policy in crosshairs: Who will blink first? SEBI warns of securities market frauds via YouTube, Facebook, X and more SEBI warns of securities market frauds via YouTube, Facebook, X and more API Trading for All: Pi42 CTO Satish Mishra on How Pi42 is Empowering Retail Traders API Trading for All: Pi42 CTO Satish Mishra on How Pi42 is Empowering Retail Traders Security, transparency, and innovation: What sets Pi42 apart in crypto trading Security, transparency, and innovation: What sets Pi42 apart in crypto trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Altcoins? How investors are structuring their crypto portfolios, Avinash Shekhar explains Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Altcoins? How investors are structuring their crypto portfolios, Avinash Shekhar explains The rise of Crypto Futures in India: Leverage, tax efficiency, and market maturity, Avinash Shekhar of Pi42 explains NEXT STORY
Economic Times
22 minutes ago
- Economic Times
IEX crashes nearly 30% after market coupling nod: Technical analysts see no floor yet
Shares of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) crashed 29.5% on Thursday to close at Rs 132.45 on the BSE, marking one of the stock's steepest single-day declines. The sharp fall followed a regulatory order from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), which approved the implementation of market coupling in the day-ahead power market by January 2026. ADVERTISEMENT The move has raised fresh concerns about IEX's future market dominance and its core revenue model. Late Wednesday, the CERC said it would initiate market coupling in a phased manner, starting with the Day-Ahead Market (DAM). The mechanism aims to unify price discovery across multiple power exchanges by pooling bids and clearing them centrally, a structural shift that could dilute IEX's competitive edge and impact its transaction charges, which currently form a major part of its revenue. While the move is expected to improve efficiency and reduce regional price disparities, it threatens the liquidity moat that IEX has built over the called the development 'as bad as it gets' for IEX, cutting its target price to Rs 122 and maintaining a 'Market-Perform' rating. 'With the moat of liquidity gone, the only way to compete is transaction charge,' the firm noted. ADVERTISEMENT In contrast, UBS retained a 'Buy' call with a target of Rs 285, terming the news a 'negative surprise' but pointing out that the Grid-India report suggested only a 0.01–0.3% impact in terms of savings or volumes cleared. UBS added that the real-time market (RTM), which accounts for 30% of IEX revenue, remains unaffected for analysts see no signs of recovery in the near term. ADVERTISEMENT Kunal Kamble, Senior Technical Research Analyst at Bonanza Portfolio, said the stock has broken down from a double top formation with a breakaway gap, confirming a bearish reversal. 'The price has slipped below all major EMAs, and the RSI has plunged to 14 — an extremely oversold condition. The directional movement index (DMI) also confirms strong selling pressure,' he Matalia, Derivative Analyst at Choice Broking, echoed the caution: 'IEX breached key support zones with high volume. RSI at 17.68 shows relentless selling, and unless the price reclaims key averages with volume support, any bounce should be seen as an exit opportunity.' ADVERTISEMENT Both analysts advised traders and investors to avoid fresh long positions at current levels and wait for further clarity on the regulatory to the complexity, IEX reported strong Q1 results after market hours on Thursday, July 24. The company posted a 25% year-on-year jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 120 crore for the quarter ended June 2025. Revenue rose 19% to Rs 184.2 crore. ADVERTISEMENT Electricity volumes grew 14.9% YoY to 32.4 billion units, and Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) trading surged 149.3% to 52.7 lakh units. However, lower power demand, due to early monsoons and unseasonal rains, kept prices subdued in both DAM and RTM Day-Ahead Market saw a 45.2% YoY rise in supply liquidity, driving down average price per unit by 16% to Rs 4.41. In the Real-Time Market, prices fell 20% to Rs 3.91/ the operational beat, the regulatory uncertainty weighed heavier on investor CERC's market coupling framework set to be rolled out over the next 18 months, analysts expect continued volatility in IEX's stock. While the Q1 performance highlights strong fundamentals, the long-term implications of losing pricing control and volume leadership in key market segments are keeping investors on edge. Also read: IEX Q1 Results: Cons PAT jumps 25% YoY to Rs 120 crore, revenue rises 19% Until clarity emerges on how the new framework will impact exchange dynamics, technical experts believe any recovery may be short-lived. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
