The Russian company, Transport of the Future, plans to open production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Uzbekistan by the end of 2025.   Spot reports that the company's CEO, Yuri Kozarenko, announced this yesterday at the International Industrial Exhibition, dubbed “Innoprom.  Central Asia”, which is being held in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, from April 2830. 

According to Kozarenko, the cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia in the field of unmanned aerial systems covers several areas, including drone production and localization.

“We analyzed the market in terms of population, arable land, which exceeds 4.5 million hectares in the republic, the length of borders, and cargo transportation capacity.  Based on joint work with the Agency for Strategic Reforms, we concluded that there is already an opportunity to economically and efficiently integrate tens of thousands of UAVs into the market, thereby ensuring high profitability," he noted.

The Transport of the Future CEO reportedly also stated that the first stage of the UAV production project is planned to have a production volume worth $100 million.

At the “Innoprom. Central Asia” exhibition in Tashkent in April last year, Kozarenko expressed readiness to build UAV manufacturing plants in Uzbekistan for the first time.

"There is interest.  We are soon expecting a delegation from Uzbekistan, and we continue working on plans for production facilities in the country, drone exports, and the creation of service centers for operators," he told Kommersant in interview September last year. 

In January, the UzAeronavigation Center reportedly presented a system for UAV flight planning, ATM: Safe Sky.  In the future, permission to fly UAVs will be obtainable via a mobile app.

How UAV use is regulated in Uzbekistan

The import of UAVs to Uzbekistan has been prohibited since 2015.  Previously, violators faced prison sentences of 3 to 10 years, but in the summer of 2024, an amendment was enacted that softened the penalties. Now, for a first offense, a fine of up to 20 BRV (7.5 million sums) and confiscation of the devices is imposed instead of imprisonment.

Legal entities can import and use UAVs for their purposes with a special permit.  Currently, this right is mainly utilized by the agricultural sector, particularly members of the licorice producers' association.  In November 2022, the Ministry of Tourism and the Charvak Directorate also received the right to import drones.

The Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of Uzbekistan announced last June that it is developing a draft regulatory legal act to regulate the UAV industry.  Strict restrictions on UAV usage have reportedly slowed the development of the sector.