Govt eases rules for drone operations
NEW DELHI: Individuals and companies will now find it easier and cheaper to own and operate drones in India, under a new national policy notified on Thursday.
The policy, a liberalized version of rules first announced in March, will exempt a drone operator from seeking security clearance before registering a drone or applying for a licence. Also, foreign companies registered in India will be allowed to import and operate drones and their parts, and will be regulated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
The Drone Rules 2021 have also done away with the requirement of possessing a certificate of airworthiness, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot licence for entities engaged in doing research and development (R&D) on drones.
This comes less than a fortnight after the ministry of civil aviation (MOCA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) permitted 10 organizations to use drones for a year.
The rules will replace the UAS (unmanned aircraft system) Rules 2021 issued on March 12, 2021, the aviation ministry said in a statement.
“The new Drone Rules will tremendously help startups and youth working in the sector. It will open up possibilities for innovation & business. It will help leverage India’s strengths in innovation, technology & engineering to make India a drone hub,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. According to the Drone Rules 2021, several approvals have been abolished, including requirement of unique authorization number, a unique prototype identification number, certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permit, authorization of R&D organization and student remote pilot licence.
“This drone policy is historic. We want to create a strong drone ecosystem in India. This policy will eliminate all unnecessary operational and entry barriers,” civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said at a news conference.
“We aim to make India a hub for drones by 2030,” Scindia added.