Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the updated – The Drone Rules, 2021 for public consultation. The coverage of drones is increased from 300 kg to 500 kg which will also allow drone taxis.
There will be no restriction on drone operations by foreign-owned companies registered in India.
Key takeaways include:
Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries.
Drone promotion council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
Import of drones and drone components to be regulated by DGFT.
Safety features like ‘No permission – no take-off’ (NPNT), real-time tracking beacon, geo-fencing etc. to be notified in future. A six-month lead time will be provided for compliance.
Digital sky platform shall be developed as a business-friendly single-window online system.
There will be minimal human interface on the digital sky platform and most permissions will be self-generated.
Interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones will be displayed on the digital sky platform.
Yellow zone reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter.
No flight permission required up to 400 feet in green zones and up to 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter.
No pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drone and for R&D organisations.
Built on a premise of trust, self-certification, and non-intrusive monitoring, The Drone Rules, 2021 will replace the UAS Rules 2021 (released on 12 March 2021). The last date for receipt of public comments is 5 August 2021, the ministry said in a release on 15 July 2021. #technology #manufacturing #investment /fiinews.com
