No security clearance required before registration
India on Thursday notified the Drone Rules 2021, bringing in a much more liberalized regime for unmanned aircraft systems. Under the new rules, a draft of which was released in July this year, several requirements and approvals have been abolished, which is expected to make drone operations simpler for civilian drone operators.
Titled Drone Rules, 2021, the latest changes in the policy have come just five months after it was last amended in March 2021 by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
While the previous policy was seen as ‘stifling’ for drone users and manufacturers, the new one eases the scope of owning and operating a drone in India. A draft of the new guidelines, that are effective from today (August 26), was shared back in July.
In a clear indication of his government’s intent, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “It will help leverage India’s strengths in innovation, technology & engineering to make India a drone hub.”
Also read: Flying Concerns
Key takeaways from the new policy are listed as under:
- Approvals abolished: unique authorization number, unique prototype identification number, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, operator permit, authorization of R&D organization, student remote pilot license, remote pilot instructor authorization, drone port authorization, import permission for drone components.
- Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg to include heavy payload-carrying drones and drone taxis.
- Number of forms/permissions reduced from 25 to 5.
- No security clearance required before any registration or license issuance.
- Maximum penalty under Drone Rules, 2021 reduced to INR 100,000. This shall, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws.
- No permission required for operating a drone in green zones and up to 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter.
- All drone training and examination to be carried out by an authorized drone school. DGCA shall prescribe training requirements, oversee drone schools and provide pilot licenses online.
- No requirement of type certificate, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot license for R&D entities.
- Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries.
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems Promotion Council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
The relaxation in guidelines for civilian drones marks a clear shift in policy by the government to allow operations of such drones and highlights India’s resolve to allow the use of drones. It opens up new possibilities not just for startups operating in the sector but also for overall innovation in business models. Having said that, possibilities abound in healthcare and e-commerce in particular.
Also read: India repeals ‘regressive’ drone rules, comes out with fresh draft
