Here's Everything You Need To Know About India's New Drone Regulations

Drone enthusiasts in India have long since bemoaned the obstacles to engaging in their passion. Police permissions, the public¡¯s fear of them, even finding a place to fly in peace. Now, thanks to some decent work by the DGCA, those should be problems of the past.

In a circular issued today, by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the government will permit civilians to fly commercial drones, starting December 1 this year. So if you¡¯re not already on your feet - cheering - you should be!

Press Release on Drones: pic.twitter.com/6ZlPeLJpxB

¡ª Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) August 27, 2018

There are caveats of course, but not nearly as onerous as you might think. The DGCA has, in fact, developed what looks like a fairly fluid system to register your drone and receive permissions to fly it. All it depends on now is the system is well designed enough so it won¡¯t break down and leave drone pilots in the lurch - so fingers crossed.

So how does this work?

At the core of the new commercial drone system is something the DGCA is calling the Digital Sky Platform. As opposed to the digitization of a paper process, the ministry says it has built this as a digital-first process from scratch. Under this, drone pilots will have to register themselves only once, along with the drone they are flying and its owner. Then, whenever they want to fly, they simply open up the app to ask for permission, which is automatically approved or denied depending on the flight location and other factors, but we¡¯ll get into that in a moment.

Question: If I am a wedding photographer and have a micro drone to cover weddings in various areas, do they also have to go and take a permission from the local police station? (1/2)

¡ª Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) August 27, 2018

On top of that, the Digital Sky software will also act as an unmanned air traffic regulator in drone airspace, in close coordination with defence and civilian air traffic controllers. And you¡¯d best believe they¡¯ve thought of a way to stop you flying rogue too. 'No permission, no takeoff' is the system¡¯s new mantra.

Where you can and can't fly

The newly-published Drone Regulations 1.0 is the set of rules drone owners and pilots need to adhere to in order to fly. While there are varying regulations depending on the type of craft, the overarching rule specifies daytime-only drone flights within visual line-of-sight, and under a maximum altitude of 400 feet.

Also, this airspace has been marked in colour-coded zones, which will be displayed in the app as well. Red means a strict no-fly zone, around places like airports, international borders, Vijay Chowk in Delhi, state secretariat complexes in state capitals, as well as strategic/vital locations (things like power plants, dams) and military installations.

Yellow denotes controlled zones, where you¡¯d need multiple approvals to fly, though it¡¯s implied it¡¯s not impossible to get this. You¡¯d first have to file a flight plan and get an Air Defence Clearance (ADC)/Flight Information Centre (FIC) number before receiving approval.

Green zones meanwhile are being marked as 'automatic permission', so it hopefully means the automated app will approve your flight within five minutes.

Drone regulations to abide by

You have to know the different classification of drones there are, in order to see which rules apply to you.

First up, Nano drones are those weighing less than or equal to 250g. You¡¯re permitted to fly these whenever and wherever you want, without even needing to register them on the Digital Sky platform, as long as you keep them below 50 feet. Just don¡¯t mistake 'legal' for 'appropriate' when you think of flying it through someone else¡¯s window. That¡¯s a good way to invite trouble.

Micro drones, meanwhile, are classified as weighing more than 250g and less than or equal to 2kg. Small drones are greater than 2kg but less than or equal to 25kg. Medium drones are those between 25kg to 150kg. Lastly, large drones are those over 150kg.

Also Read: How A 22-Year-Old Won A Drone Flying Tournament, Topping India's Drone Racing Community

For these four types of drones, you¡¯re going to need to get an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) from the DGCA before you fly them. Again here, the exception is for micros, where you don¡¯t need the permit if you keep them below 200 feet. And, of course, any drones operated by the NTRO, ARC and Central Intelligence Agencies are exempt from these regulations.

Drone equipment you need to have

As far as hardware goes, you might need to drop a little cash if you don¡¯t have any of these things already. Again, if your drone is a nano, you don¡¯t need to bother with any of the points here.

Firstly, you need to have GPS tracking on your drone, as well as a return-to-home function that auto-paths the drone back to you. You need to have anti-collision lights, which are typically achieved with simple LEDs glued to the drone¡¯s frame. Very importantly, your drone needs a fire-proof ID plate, so you can be easily tagged from a distance for any wrongful flying or mishap. You also need to have a flight controller that has the capability to log flight data. Likely, controlling a drone from your smartphone with that capability would also be acceptable. Lastly, your drone needs RFID and a SIM.

Why you should toe the line

So, why does your drone need a SIM you ask? Well, it¡¯s simple - that¡¯s how the DGCA makes sure it can hold you to the 'no permission, no take off' rule. When you register your drone, you get a Unique Identification Number - one that also goes on the drone¡¯s ID plate.

You use this whenever you seek flight permission from the Digital Sky app. If you¡¯re rejected, it seems the platform will lock down your drone through the SIM. This is evidenced by the line in the circular stating, ¡°...any drone without a digital permit to fly will simply not be able to take off.¡± In addition, the platform will also ensure you stay to your pre-filed flight path (or simply stick to the green zone if that¡¯s where you are).

Flouting any rules could lead to your UIN registered to the drone being suspended, or possibly even your Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) drone permit. That¡¯s not the end of it either. If your illegal jaunt results in damage or injury, you could also be punished as per the Aircraft Act 1934, and charged under the IPC sections 287, 336, 337, and 338, among other relevant ones. And just to clarify, those last four sections alone could net you anything from a Rs 250 fine to two years in prison, so don¡¯t get any stupid ideas.

Looking up

For now, all you can do is wait for the new rules to kick in, perhaps upgrade your drones to regulation standard in the meantime, and then get registered. But there¡¯s more than a glimmer of hope here. The DGCA has also said the Drone Task Force will soon submit recommendations that go into Drone Regulations 2.0. Among other things, this might include rules that govern drone flight even beyond visual line-of-sight. So this could really mean the dawn of a new drone ecosystem in India.

Heck, maybe you¡¯ll actually be able to receive Flipkart or Amazon drone deliveries soon!