New policy for commercial use of drones likely soon

An official policy regarding operation of drones is expected to be released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) end of May or early June. The DGCA had banned operation of all civil drones in the country in September after a pizza outlet in Mumbai created a stir by making delivery via drone, prompting police investigation.

DGCA insiders said as per the proposed policy, flying of drones at an altitude of up to 500 feet during the day, with it being mandatory that the operator keep it in his/her sight at all times. Flying drones near airport will be banned.

"The policies regarding drones are being designed with inputs from AAI, airport operators, the ministry of defence, the ministry of home affairs, and other security agencies concerned, besides the DGCA." said a source.

The development seems significant as according to recent news reports, India ranks first among the number of drones imported between 1985 and 2014. The government used it to great effect during the rescue operation in Nepal after the earthquake.

E-commerce retailer Amazon too has plans to start its drone-embedded delivery operations in India, whereby merchandise will be delivered to customers via drones.

Also known as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), they are used for surveys, deliveries, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and even in combat missions by the military. Their advantage is that as they don't require pilots, the cost of the service is minimal.

In a circular issued last October, the DGCA had said several parties across India were interested in using drones for both commercial and recreational purposes. However, at present, there are no laws to regulate their movement, as even the global apex aviation regulator — the International Civil Aviation Organization — is yet to publish Standards And Recommended Practices for their certification and operation.

"The UAS (unmanned aerial system) has potential for a large number of civil applications. However, its use, besides being a safety issue, also poses a security threat. The airspace over cities in India has high density of manned aircraft traffic. Due to lack of regulation, operating procedures/standards and uncertainty of the technology, UAS poses threat for air collisions and accidents," said the circular.