India will need strong tech to check drones: Puri
Days after a Pakistanoperated drone was caught by Indian security forces for dropping arms and ammunition in Punjab, Union minister of state for civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said these unmanned aircraft systems has a potential to cause destruction and need to be checked through technology.
“While we appreciate and understand immense commercial and social applications that a drone can provide, at the same time, however, we are also aware of the destructive nature of the technology. We have, therefore, developed a system in which each of the operators of drones is recognised and tracked, so as to have secure and safe drone operations. To support exponential growth of the drone technology adoption, India will require a strong technology platform for governance of drones,” Mr Puri said on Tuesday at the Drone
Innovators Network Summit.
As per new rules governing drones that are effective since December, last year, manufacturers of drone need to comply with the requirements of No Permission, No Take-off (NPNT) on the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). These regulations only permit operations of drones during daytime Visual Line of Sight.
NPNT is a software programme that enables every Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) (except Nano) to obtain a valid permission through the DigiSky platform before operating in India.
“No drone zones” are geo-fenced into the DigiSky platform and the NPNT code activates the “Return to Home” function in the drone and in case the drone deviates from its path or enters a no drone area, it will automatically return to home.
“Aviation is undergoing a revolution and the pace of technological advancement is providing both opportunities and challenges. It has been our effort to ensure that policy fundamentals are contemporary and that technology acts as an enabler and catalyst for growth,” Mr Puri added.