Civil Aviation Ministry to soon begin registration for drone operations

The Civil Aviation Ministry is likely to begin soon the registration process for operations of drone in the country, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

"We need regulations for usage of drones in terms of altitude, endurance and categorisation," joint secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Anil Aggarwal said.

"Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry is on the cusp now. As per the estimates, by 2023, UAS industry has $1 billion opportunity in India," he said.

He added that the proposed drone policy is going to be comprehensive.

"We must have the capabilities of designing and manufacturing (UAS) in India so that the IP stays with us," he said.

He was speaking at an event on 'Make in India' for UAS and promoting UAS industry in the country.

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said the regulatory framework for civil and commercial operations of UAS needs to be put in place early in line with global best practices.

He also called for incentivising budding entrepreneurs to encourage them to provide UAS services and suggested that they could be given tax exemption.

"The primary beneficiaries of UAS would be agriculture, fishery, forest and irrigation sectors. UAS services by start-ups must be encouraged through incentives, benefits and tax breaks...for the benefit of these sectors," he said.