Is it legal to own drones in India?

Under India’s new drone rules, you do not require security clearance to operate and fly mini drones and nano drones in the air. Nano drones (less than 250 gm) are exempted from obtaining any licence. In addition, no remote pilot licence is required for micro drones (for non-commercial use).

What is India’s drone policy?

However, the import of drones will continue to be regulated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Significantly, the coverage of these rules has been increased to cover drones up to 500 kg in weight from 300 kg earlier, thereby bringing drone taxis under the fray too.

Is DJI NPNT compliant?

DJI’s drone series are the most popular all over the world. However, due to the nature of Indian drone laws, the company has decided not to manufacture drones that are NPNT compliant. In an official release on the company’s website, DJI claims the policies to be restrictive of drone flight.

Can I use DJI drone in India?

Guidelines around flying a drone have been mentioned under the Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2021 by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. No license or permit is needed to fly drones weighing less than 250 grams. There are strict no flying zones where no one, even those with a licence, can fly a drone.

Is DJI approved by DGCA?

Nano Drones Therefore the only DJI drones that can be flown in India are the DJI Mavic Mini, Mini 2, and the Tello. Nano drones do not require registration but these drones would have to be enlisted with the DGCA. The drone is flown below 50ft (15m) in uncontrolled airspace.

Are drones a threat to privacy in India?

Despite useful applications, however, drones can also be a privacy threat and have repeatedly been used by law enforcement agencies not only in India but across the world to surveil protestors. Several authorities in India have often not been forthcoming about the surveillance they conduct, using drones.

What is NPNT (no permission – no take-off)?

NPNT or ‘No Permission – No Take-off” is a software program that enables every RPA (except Nano) to obtain valid permissions through digital sky platform before operating in India. Why NPNT Compliance? Due to the Security threats that drones can possess, as they come in all shapes and sizes ranging from nano to large.

What happens if a NPNT compliant drone breaches geo-fencing?

In the worst scenario, If an NPNT compliant drone tries to breach geo-fencing, the in-built software will compel the drone to return-to-home (RTH). NPNT requires all manufacturers to implement firmware & hardware changes that only allow flights authorized by DGCA to physically take-off.

What are the new drone rules 2021?

Under the new Drone Rules 2021, no security clearance is required before registration or licence issuance. ANI has tweeted about the announcement of the Drone Rules 2021 from its official Twitter handle.