Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation has announced that the government aims to make India a global drone hub by 2030. The industry is projected to generate income as well as job opportunities in verticals as diverse as transport, logistics, defence, mining and infrastructure, among others. Drones are expected to be a popular option because they contribute to a low carbon footprint, as they can integrate electric power into their systems.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) published the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules in March 2021, but stakeholders, academia and start-ups felt the proposed regulations were restrictive in nature. The general consensus was that they created considerable paperwork, required permission for every drone flight and very few ‘free to fly’ green zones were available. Appropriately, the government has withdrawn the UAS Rules, 2021 and replaced them with the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021.
In the revised...