After banning the import of drones, the government abolishes the requirement of a drone pilot license

According to an official, a Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) issued by a DGCA-approved drone school through a single window DigitalSky platform would be sufficient to operate drones in India. The official also said that no remote pilot certificate would be required for operating a drone weighing up to 2 kg for non-commercial purposes.

The amendment to the drone rules has been notified by the ministry and the requirement of a drone pilot license has been done away with from February 11.

The latest move comes days after the government banned the import of drones with few exceptions as part of efforts to boost domestic manufacturing of drones in the country. The ministry came out with liberalized drone regulations in August 2021.

Following the regulations, the ministry released the Drone Airspace Map and PLI Scheme in September 2021, the UTM Policy Framework in October 2021. In addition, the Drone Certification Scheme and the Single Window DigitalSky platform were implemented last month.

Meanwhile, imports of some drone components will be allowed without any approval, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in an order late Wednesday. The government said drones used for research and development, defense and security purposes would be exempted from the ban.

India is among several countries around the world looking to substitute China for products and components, as the pandemic and global trade tensions increase the need to diversify the supply chain and limit risk. India and China have been engaged in a long-standing standoff over their disputed Himalayan border.

Amid the ongoing disputes between China and the US, drones have taken center stage as concerns surface that the Shenzhen-based DJI can intercept Chinese intelligence agencies over everything from critical infrastructure such as bridges and dams, as well as personal information. May relay some sensitive data. Rates and facial recognition.

India last year relaxed rules on the use of drones to make it easier to obtain licenses and allow heavier payloads so that the devices could potentially be used as unmanned flying taxis. India will offer 1.2 billion rupees ($16 million) incentives for drone makers as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s $20 billion plan to entice the world’s biggest brands to make their products in India and export them to the world .

Hovering drones have become extremely popular at Bollywood-style Indian weddings, vacations in exotic locations, and filming movies, even though they were illegal a few years back. As the deadly Covid streak began in India, oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp began flying drones over acres of land to record the behavior of workers to ensure they were adhering to social-distancing norms. In March 2020, budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd said it planned to use drones for e-commerce products as well as for delivery of medical and essential supplies.

Local drone maker RatanIndia Enterprises Ltd said India’s move will help the South Asian nation become a drone manufacturing hub. The new rules will allow for better efficiency in supply chain operations, inventory and fund management, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

The pandemic has accelerated the shift to automated delivery for food, groceries, medical supplies and other essentials to fuel the drone industry. Autonomous-vehicle companies, delivery startups and drone operators have touted the benefits of contactless systems.