The sky is the limit

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It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane…It’s a drone. With the government notifying Drone Rules 2021 drone enthusiasts are on cloud nine. The new rules mark a more liberalised regime compared to the earlier one.

Under the new policy, the government has not only made it easy for consumers to buy and operate drones but also eased out the process of acquiring licenses.

The new drone rules also allow drones to carry heavier payloads, making way for air taxis in India.

However, there are concerns when it comes to drones. The threat to national security is one such concern. The first-of-its-kind attack by purported drones at the air force in Jammu prompted stricter guidelines for these flying objects. A drone may be extensively useful until its remote control lands on the hands of someone who has intentions of creating chaos. Lately, drones are being used as a weapon too.

Under the new rules, a draft of which was released in July, several requirements and approvals have been abolished, which could come to haunt India’s national security.

The new rules mark a new era in the Indian drone ecosystem which has a market potential of more than Rs 50,000 crore and can create 500,000 professional jobs in the next five years, according to the Drone Federation of India.

While the new rules are welcome, there is still a lot of work left to be done. India needs to come up with an interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones (depending upon national security) to eliminate threats.

If used wisely, the new rules will enable start-ups and small and medium enterprises to create innovative-use cases and applications in various sectors like e-commerce, agriculture, mining, healthcare, emergency response, and logistics.