Policy on drones unveiled - The rules will pave the way for drones in e-commerce and delivery to remote areas

TT, 6.06.20, New Delhi: The government on Friday released the draft rules for the operation of drones.

The aviation ministry has invited public comments on the draft Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2020 within 30 days after which the final rules will be issued. The rules will pave the way for drones in e-commerce and delivery to remote areas. They come at a time the airborne vehicles are being used in the lockdown for surveillance, disinfection and videography.

The rules look set to allow beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and bring drone traders under its ambit.

Anyone in the business — manufacturer, importer, trader, owner or operator — must take approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

An importer or manufacturer can sell drones only to an authorised trader or owner. The draft rules propose establishing dedicated drone ports and corridors in permitted areas, which have not been specified. Licenses will have to be obtained for operations.

A drone can capture images as long as it is not flying over non-permissible areas and after “ensuring the privacy of an individual and his property”.

The DGCA will have the powers to inspect a manufacturing or maintenance facility before granting any authorisation.

Operators must have a third party insurance policy, while they will carry only such materials as permitted by the DGCA.

Only nano class drones, which are less than 250 grams, will be allowed to operate.

A “qualified remote pilot” will be permitted to operate the heavier drones.

The draft rules have three categories of drones: Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), Model Remotely Piloted Aircraft System and Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft System.

Unmanned aircraft are further classified on the basis of maximum all-up-weight, including payload, as nano (up to 250 gram); micro (250 gram to 2 kg); small: (2-25 kg); medium (25-150 kg) and large (over150 kg).

“The regulators and the industry need to keep working hand-in-hand to operationalise these rules,” said Smit Shah, director partnerships, the Drone Federation of India.