Liberalization of the drone sector in the Indian market

India promotes the liberalization of its drone market through its new Drone Rules 2021, propelling the sector to the top of the industry

The Indian Government announces new legislation related to the use of drones in the country, the Drone Rules 2021, a reform that involves a liberalization for drone systems in India.

The use of domestic drones in India was heavily restricted, largely due to a lack of regulation and information on their use. With the Drone Rules 2021, reports Indian Express, the sector faces substantial changes that will allow a greater impact and scope of its applications.

Among the main modifications, the bureaucratic and documentary procedures necessary to obtain the approval of the drone flight have been exponentially reduced. On the one hand, the number of forms to complete has been reduced from 25 to just five, eliminating many of those that were tedious or incomplete. On the other hand, the fees to pay, which previously depended on the size of the drone and could reach 35 euros, have been unified and reduced to a standard rate of just over 1 euro.

Second, the creation of the Digital Sky platform, a one-stop shop for obtaining the necessary authorizations, has been promoted. The interface is intended to include an interactive map that highlights the areas where the use of drones is allowed. In this regard, the distance of use of drones close to airports has been reduced to a perimeter of 12 km around it, a big difference compared to the previous 45 km.

Finally, restrictive measures on the entry of foreign investment have been reduced. Now, drone operating companies will be able to count on foreign direct investment. It is expected that, in the next three years, this will represent about 573 million euros for the sector thanks to the liberalization.

The new measures approved, which mark a before and after in the sector, seek to take advantage of India’s strengths in innovation. Embention knows the potential of the country and has been betting on its technology and engineering for years, in order to make the country a hub for the drone sector. Therefore, this new legislative framework represents a great opportunity for Spanish companies in this sector.