India would require strong platform for drone governance: Puri

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that India would require a strong technological platform for the governance of the drones.

Speaking at the Drone Innovators Network Summit here, Puri said, "India is one the few countries to come out with drone regulations. To support the exponential growth of drone technology adoption, India will require a strong technology platform for governance of drones."

Alluding to the "destructive nature" of the technology, he said that the government has developed a system in which each of the operators of drones is "recognized and tracked."

"NPNT is a software program that enables every Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to obtain valid permission through the DigiSky platform before operating in India," he said.

The RPAS is embedded with encrypted firmware by the manufacturer to receive permissions through DigiSky each time it take-off, he said.

"No drone zones are to be geo-fenced into the DigiSky platform and the NPNT code will activate the 'Return to Home' function in the drone. In case the drone deviates from its path or enters a no drone area, it will automatically return to home," the Union Minister said.

The summit saw various stakeholders sharing ideas on the best path forward to maximize the benefits of emerging drone technology.