Yesil Technology Company, a subsidiary of the Chinese Shaanxi Kaizhuo Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, will launch the production of industrial drones in Kazakhstan, as reported by a correspondent from Interfax-Kazakhstan.
In the initial phase, the total investment will amount to $12 million.
Construction of a manufacturing and research zone covering 50,000 square meters is set to begin in March 2025 in Astana. The project is being implemented with the support of the national company Kazakh Invest and will include a battery manufacturing workshop, an innovative technology research center, a full-cycle machine storage facility, and a testing ground for aerial vehicles.
"At the moment, since the future market needs are not entirely clear, the planned production capacity is minimal - 300 drones per month. However, in the future, depending on market demand, an increase in production capacity is planned," said Chu Qi, CEO of Yesil Technology Company, to Interfax-Kazakhstan during a drone presentation in Astana on Wednesday.
He explained that alongside the construction of the factory, the company would start assembling drones to meet market needs.
"Once the factory is fully completed, we aim to bring the entire production chain to Kazakhstan. Currently, there is no such drone manufacturing chain in Kazakhstan. We plan to localize production as much as possible, including sourcing or extracting raw materials in Kazakhstan," added the CEO.
Furthermore, according to him, the company has not yet received any requests but is anticipating an inquiry from the Ministry of Agriculture.
"Given Kazakhstan's promising prospects - a vast territory with a small population of 20 million people - there are opportunities for development in this area," emphasized Chu Qi.
Acting Chairman of the State Inspection Committee in the Agro-Industrial Complex of the Ministry of Agriculture, Saken Kanibekov, noted that in 2024, the ministry utilized drones over 2,000 hectares of agricultural land.
"This demonstrated very high efficiency, and we became interested in it. In 2024, we acquired 46 drones. In 2025, we plan to increase the number of drones for monitoring," clarified Saken Kanibekov.
The national company "Kazakhstan Engineering" has also expressed interest in collaborating with Yesil Technology Company, considering the possibility of building a drone manufacturing plant in partnership with the Chinese company.
"We are interested in finding investors and partners, and there are many proposals for international cooperation. Yesil Technology Company is showing interest and is currently ready to invest significant financial resources in the development of Kazakhstan's economy. We are prepared to act as partners for them. As manufacturers, we would like to explore the possibility of building a drone production facility - Interfax-Kazakhstan. Today, we will hold our second round of negotiations," reported Arthur Mosendz, head of the investment attraction and technology transport service.