After the government banned the import of drones in India, the civil aviation ministry has made another major change to the new drone laws in the country. It has, in fact, made it easier for people to fly small drones legally for non-commercial purposes. The government has now announced the Drone (Amendment) Rules, 2022 which says that remote pilot certificate (earlier it was called licence) will not be required for flying small to medium size drones of up to 2kg for non-commercial purposes.
Also, those who are flying drones that are beyond 2kg in weight or for commercial purposes no longer need to get a ‘Remote Pilot Licence’ to legally fly. Instead, they simply require a Remote Pilot Certificate. This certificate can be issued by an authorised remote pilot training organisation to any individual, as per the new law. This is a major step to make things easier for drone enthusiasts in the country. Also, it is expected to give a boost in drone deliveries in the country.
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REMOTE PILOT CERTIFICATE VS REMOTE PILOT LICENCE: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE
Before you get confused, note that most of the rules for drones in India are only for bigger drones (beyond 2Kg weight) and for commercial purposes. If you wish to fly a small drone in India for fun you do not require any permission to do so.
The government has categorised drones into five categories:
- Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams. (No permits required)
- Micro: Greater than 250 grams and less than or equal to 2 kg. (No permits required for non-commercial usage only)
- Small: Greater than 2 kg and less than or equal to 25 kg.
- Medium: Greater than 25 kg and less than or equal to 150 kg.
- Large: Greater than 150 kg.
However, note that you are required to ensure that you do not fly any nano drone beyond 50 ft (15m) Above Ground Level (AGL). Also, you will need permits, even for nano drones, if you fly in controlled airspace like airports or other sensitive facilities.
What’s the latest update on drone rules in India?
Last year when government announced the liberalised drone rules, it had mandated that after you get trained from an authorised DGCA-approved drone training institute in India, you were required to get yourself registered as a Remote Pilot and get a “Pilot Identification number" and Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) to officially fly drones (except nano models up to 250 grams weight) in India.
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Now, the government has simply extended the relaxation which was meant for nano drones only to micro drones up to 2 kg, provided the same micro drone is used only for non-commercial usage.
Obviously, to fly a micro drone (models that are greater than 250 grams and less than or equal to 2 kg) you would need some kind of training, especially for commercial purposes. It is advisable that you get trained from a DGCA-approved institute so that you need not worry about permits, etc.
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Now, as per the new government rule, you are not required to get a licence from DGCA separately after getting trained from a DGCA-approved drone training institute. You will now get a ‘Remote Pilot Certificate’ from the DGCA-approved drone training institute itself after passing the course that will make you eligible to fly micro drones for commercial purposes. This will simply speed up the process of more drone pilots trained in India to boost drone deliveries in the country.
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