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Member Consultation-MoCA releases Draft Drone Rules, 2021
Member Consultation-MoCA releases Draft Drone Rules, 2021

July 19, 2021

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On July 15, 2021, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) released Draft Drone Rules, 2021. These rules will supersede the Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2021, which came into force on March 12, 2021. According to MoCA, the overhaul of the rules is aimed at providing a fillip to the drone industry.

Key Highlights of Draft Drone Rules

  1. Categorisation of airspace into Green, Yellow and Red zones
  • Yellow zone means the controlled airspace of defined dimensions above the land areas or territorial waters of India within which drone operations are restricted and shall require permission from the concerned air traffic control authority.
  • Red zone means the airspace within which drone operations shall be permitted only under exceptional circumstances by the Central Government.
  • Green zone means the airspace from the ground up to a vertical distance of 400 feet (120 metre) above ground level (AGL) that has not been designated as a red zone or yellow zone in the airspace map for drone operations; and the airspace from the ground up to a vertical distance of 200 feet (60 metre) AGL in the area located between a lateral distance of 8 kilometre and 12 kilometre from the perimeter of an operational airport. In the airspace above 400 feet (120 metre) AGL in a designated green zone and the airspace above 200 feet (60 metre) AGL in the area located between the lateral distance of 8 kilometre and 12 kilometre from the perimeter of an operational airport, the provisions of yellow zone shall apply.
  1. Maximum weight of drone revised to 500kg from 300 kg-In case of a drone with maximum all-up-weight more than 500 kilogram, the provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 shall apply. This will cover drone taxis too.
  2. Abolished approvals- These include, unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permit, authorisation of R&D organisation, student remote pilot licence, remote pilot instructor authorisation, drone port authorisation etc. 
  3. Introduction of airspace map- Once the Drone Rules have been notified, the Government may publish on the digital sky platform, an airspace map for drone operations segregating the entire airspace of India into red, yellow and green zones, with a horizontal resolution equal or finer than 10 metres. Drone pilots will be able to plot their proposed flight plan on this map. No person shall operate a drone in a red zone or yellow zone without prior permission.
  4. Drone operations for research and development- Relaxations have been granted for such activities. For instance, persons shall not require a certificate of airworthiness, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot licence for operating drones for research and development purposes.
  5. No pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drone and for R&D organisations. 
  6. No security clearance required before any registration or licence issuance.  
  7. All drone training and testing to be carried out by an authorised drone school. DGCA shall prescribe training requirements, oversee drone schools and provide pilot licences online. 
  8. Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries. 
  9. Drone Promotion- The rules aim to promote the adoption and use of drones through the creation of a Drone Promotion Council. The drone promotion council shall facilitate –
  • development of a business-friendly regulatory regime, including automated permissions;
  • establishment of incubators and other facilities for the development of drone technologies;
  • involvement of industry experts and academic institutions in policy advice; and
  • organising of competitive events involving drones and counter-drone technologies.

 

MoCA has initiated public consultation on these rules. The last date to submit comments is August 5, 2021. We therefore request you to send us your feedback/inputs by July 29, 2021 (Thursday), to enable us to make a timely submission to MoCA. Please send your inputs to komal@nasscom.in .

 

 

 


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Komal Gupta
Policy Analyst

Policy Professional| Former Tech and Business Journalist|

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