The Ministry of Civil Aviation (“MoCA”) has undertaken the initiative of bringing critical amendments to the currently existing Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2021 (“UAS Rules”)1 vide the Draft Drones Rules, 2021 (“Draft Rules”) released on July 14, 2021 for public consultation.
The Draft Rules have heavily reduced the procedural and compliance aspects of owning, operating, manufacturing and importing civilian drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (“UAS”/”Drone(s)”).
The Draft Rules seek to provide a legal and regulatory framework to the UAS or Drone industry in India. India is set to be one of the largest and fastest growing Drone markets in the world by FY2026 growing at a CAGR of 14.61%, owing to the rapid technological advancements and the increasing need for advanced systems for delivery, security among others. The Indian Drone market has shown exponential growth since 2018, pursuant to the release of the draft norms for usage of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (“RPAS”)3 in 2018.
In light of the fast paced evolution of the Drone industry, and the need for expansive legislations for this sector, we appreciate the initiative undertaken by the MoCA to revise and enact newer and more advances legislations to better govern this sector. We submit our views and observations on the Draft Rules through the present recommendations (“Our Recommendations”).
Our Recommendations on the Draft Drone Rules are divided in three parts. In PART A, we examine the existing legal and regulatory framework governing Drones in India. In PART B, we review in detail the established UAS regimes in certain international jurisdictions. In PART C, we encapsulate our recommendations on the provisions of the Draft Rules.
You can download the full document from the link below.