Drones Will Soon Be Legal In India: If You Want To Fly One, This Is What You Need To Know

Drone enthusiasts of India, time to wipe off that frown and get excited. The country's all set to legalize drones... very soon.

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The strongest signal of intent was dropped by India's aviation ministry, which indicated that it will create a set of rules and guidelines for both civil and commercial use of drones within the country's airspace by the end of the year -- December 31st, 2017.

The DGCA's draft regulations for drone use, which they released yesterday after discussions with various stakeholders, are now being placed in the public domain for a month for further comments and suggestions, after which the rules would be finalized.

Different types of drone classification

Drones in India will be classified into different categories based on their weight. Nano drones weighing less than 250g. Then come drones weighing between 250g to 2kg, capable of flying no higher than 200ft will need at least a police permission. Drones weighing more than 2kg will need to apply for a whole host of permissions, including a police permit, and a licence with a flight plan.

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For what all purpose will drones be used in India?

According to the draft regulations released yesterday, civilians will be able to use drones at their home and outside. Commercial use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (which is the technical name for flying drones) for aerial photography, doorstep delivery of goods and services, and even passenger transport is being deliberated.

Will your pizza finally fly to your hungry location?

Well, yes. Drones will be allowed for commercial purposes, according to DGCA's draft regulations, but it¡¯s yet unclear how that process will be implemented. One one hand there's convenience to the consumer, where drones may be faster than road-based delivery options, and on the other hand the question of keeping hundreds of thousands of delivery people employed. No doubt, big ecommerce names like Amazon, Flipkart and startups in the food business will ride the first wave of drone-based goods deliveries, whenever they start in India.

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Will civilians need a permit to fly drones in India?

Not all drones will need to have permits. According to the DGCA's draft regulations, nano drones -- which weigh less than 250g and don't fly more than 50 ft off the ground -- will not need any permission for users to operate and fly. For everything else, either a police permission or a flight licence will be required.

Any restrictions on where you can or cannot fly drones in India?

Of course. Lots of them, according to DGCA's draft regulations on drone use in India. Drones will be prohibited to fly in sensitive areas like international borders, places of national importance like around India Gate. You won't be able to fly a drone within 500m from strategic locations (which aren't fully defined yet), or from things like the top of a car, ship or airplane. Drones won't be allowed to fly over eco-sensitive zones, too -- so forget about shooting aerial footage at places like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.