The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced a new drone policy in order to simplify procedures and reduce the compliance burden to operate a drone in India. The Drone Rules, 2021, issued on Wednesday, supersedes the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021, which had come into force on March 12 this year.
Here are the key highlights of Centre’s new drone policy
1) Under the new rules, several approvals are removed. These inlcude certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permit, authorisation of R&D organisation and student remote pilot licence.
2) The new drone rules have also done away with the need for security clearance before any registration or licence issuance.
3) There will be minimal human interface and most permissions will be self-generated, the union aviation ministry said.
4) The coverage of drones under the new rules has been increased from 300 kg to 500 kg to include heavy payload-carrying drones and drone taxis.
5) The fee, according to the new rules, has been reduced to nominal levels and de-linked from the size of the drone. For example, the fee for a remote pilot license has been reduced for Rs 3,000 (for a large drone) to Rs 100 for all categories of drones and it is valid for 10 years.
6) Approvals such as unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number and certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness have also been abolished.
7) No flight permission will be required up to 400 feet in “green zones” and up to 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter, the new rules stated. Green zones” means the airspace up to a vertical distance of 400 feet that has not been designated as red zone or yellow zone in the airspace map.
8) DGCA shall prescribe drone training requirements, oversee drone schools and provide pilot licences online.
10) No pilot licence will be required for micro drones (for non-commercial use) and nano drones, the rules mentioned, adding that maximum penalty for violations have been reduced to Rs 1 lakh.
11) Nano and model drones (made for research or recreation purposes) are exempt from type certification.
12) Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries and a drone promotion council will be set up to facilitate drone-friendly regulatory regime in the country, according to the draft rules.
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13) Manufacturers and importers may generate their drones’ unique identification number on the digital sky platform through the self-certification route.
14) Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries, the new rules said.
(with agency inputs)
