Private players are free to use drones for delivery purposes subject to compliance with Drone Rules, 2021, inform Minister of State for Civil Aviation General VK Singh (Retd) in Rajya Sabha.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in a written reply to a question ask about drone services for private players in Rajya Sabha, General VK Singh said :
The Union Minister said that in September 2021 the Government notified the Production-Link Incentive (PLI) scheme to promote the growth of drone manufacturing by private companies.
General VK Singh Said :
General VK Singh said that the Drones Rules, 2021 notified on 25th August, 2021, provide the necessary regulatory framework for the commercial use of drones.
These rules cover various aspects like type certification, registration and operation of drones, airspace restrictions, research, development and testing of drones, training and licensing, offences and penalties etc.
Key Aspects of the Regulatory Framework under Drones Rules, 2021
- Every drone, except for those meant for research, development and testing purposes, is require to be register and should have a Unique Identification Number (UIN).
- An airspace map of the country segregating the entire airspace into red, yellow and green zones is available on the digital sky platform.
- The operation of drones in red and yellow zones is subject to the approval of the Central Government and the concerned Air Traffic Control (ATC) authority respectively.
- No approval is require for the operation of drones in green zones.
- The State Government, the Union Territory Administration and Law enforcement agencies have empowered under the Rules to declare a temporary red zone for a specified period.
- Drones are require to have the necessary type certification issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
- No type certification is however require in the case of nano drones (up to 250 gram all-up weight) and model drones made for research and recreation purposes.
- The owner and operators of drones are require to furnish the necessary personal details including their Indian passport number etc. for issuance of any registration or licence.
- Rule 17 of the Drone Rules, 2021, lays down the provision of transfer of a drone to another person by way of sale, lease, gift or any other mode, after providing requisite details of the transferor, transferee and unique identification number of the drone on the digital sky platform along with the applicable fees.
- Authorisation of Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTO) will be done by DGCA within specified time limits.
- Drone operations that violate the provisions of the Drone Rules, 2021 are punishable under Rule 49 of the Drone Rules, 2021 as well as provisions of any other law, for the time being in force.