Drones are unpiloted aircraft or spacecraft, or you can also call it unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). It can be remotely controlled or flown autonomously via software-controlled flight plans in their implanted systems. In the past, drones were most often associated with the military. However, today it is used in a wide range of civilian roles ranging from search and rescue to personal use, drone-based photography, and vlogging.
Recently, movie-making has gained significant traction in India. People are not only just taking random videos but are almost making some world-class vlogs and uploading them on the video-sharing platform. And in this process, drones play an important role, allowing take fantastic drone shots.
Drone Laws in India
There was a time when there were no clear rules and regulations for flying a drone in India. It was not transparent whether drones were legal or illegal in India. Also, it was not only creating a lot of trouble for the government authorities but also for the drone owners. The reasons are apparent — the nation’s security situation.
And to deal with all the difficulties related to drones, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Indian governmental regulatory body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has released a draft to legalise drones with regulations. And on 1 December 2018, the new rules were out.
DGCA has split drones into five categories based on the weights of the drones
- Nano Drone: Less than or equal to 250 grams.
- Micro Drone: Greater than 250 grams and less than or equal to 2 kg.
- Small Drone: Greater than 2 kg and less than or equal to 25 kg.
- Medium Drone: Greater than 25 kg and less than or equal to 150 kg.
- Large Drone: Greater than 150 kg.
Last year when the government announced the liberalised drone rules, it had ordered that after you get prepared from an authorised DGCA-approved drone training institute in India, you were needed to get yourself registered as a Remote Pilot and get a “Pilot Identification number” and Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) to officially fly drones (except nano models up to 250 grams weight) in India.
Now, the government has extended the relaxation, which was meant for nano drones only to micro drones up to 2 kg, provided the same micro drone is used only for non-commercial usage.
To fly a micro drone, you would require some training, especially for commercial purposes. You should get trained from a DGCA-approved institute so that you need not worry about permits, etc.
As per the new government rule, you are not required to get a licence from DGCA individually after getting trained from a DGCA-approved drone training institute. After passing the course, you will get a ‘Remote Pilot Certificate’ from the DGCA-approved drone training institute, which will make you eligible to fly micro drones for commercial purposes. This will speed up the process of more drone pilots trained in India to boost drone deliveries in the country.
Things that you need to take care of before flying the drones
Here are the things that you need to take care of before you go out there and fly your drone:
- Do not fly your drone over densely populated areas or large crowds.
- Respect other’s privacy when flying your drone
- Do not fly your drone within 5km of airports or in areas where aircraft are operating.
- You must fly during daylight hours and only fly in good weather conditions.
- Do not fly your drone in sensitive areas, including government or military facilities. The use of drones or camera drones in these areas is prohibited.
- You must be 18 years old and have completed a training course.
- All drones must have a license plate identifying the operator and how to contact them.
- You must only fly your drone within the visual line of sight.
- You cannot fly more than one UAV at a time.
- Do not fly your drone within 50km of a border.
- Do not fly your drone more than 500 meters into the sea from the coastline.
- Do not fly within 5km of Vijay Chowk in Delhi.
- Do not fly over national parks or wildlife sanctuaries.
- All drones must have liability insurance.
Importing drones now allowed
Anyone into drones and looking to import an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is no longer allowed to get them. Buyers prefer going for global brands like DJI, Parrot, and Yuneec, among others. They cannot get drones imported from other countries into India. The category of drones is no longer applicable in this case. Also, drones in any form, i.e. completely built unit (CBU), completely knocked down (CKD), or even semi-knocked down (SKD), cannot be imported.
