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Figure 3A: Approvals abolished under the new Drone Rules 2021

Source: PIB
l Type of fees reduced from 72 to 4; further the quantum of fees to be paid reduced considerably
and delinked with the size of drone. For instance, the fee for a remote pilot license fee has been
reduced from Rs 3000 (for large drone) to Rs 100 for all categories of drones.
l Extended applicability of rules: Drones up to 500 kg are now subject to regulations, compared
to the earlier limit of 300 kg. This brings drone taxis and heavy payload-carrying drones within
the ambit of the rules. For drones with weight more than 500 kg, the provisions of the Aircraft
Rules 1937 shall apply.
l Simplified and accessible certification process: A Digital Sky platform is being developed as a
single-window platform for one-step and one-time clearances for drone ownership and operation.
Manufacturers and importers may generate their drones’ unique identification number on the
digital sky platform through self-certification.
l Prior security clearance removed
l Expanded area of drone operations: An interactive map on the Digital Sky platform specifies
colour-coded zones on the map i.e. green, yellow and red, indicating free zones, those which
require prior permission, and no-fly zones, respectively. The perimeters of these zones have also
been liberalised to increase freely accessible airspace under the green category. This map will be
made accessible through a machine-readable Application Programming Interface.
l Relaxations on foreign companies: Foreign-owned and controlled Indian companies can
conduct drone operations in India. Import of drones will be regulated by Directorate General of
Foreign Trade (DGFT).
l No remote pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use) and nano drones.
Remote pilot licence will be issued by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) within 15 days
of pilot receiving the remote pilot certificate from the authorised drone school through the digital
sky platform.
l Relaxations for Research and Development (R&D): Requirements such as type certification
have been removed for drone manufacturers conducting R&D in premises located in green zone.
l Reduced penalties: The maximum penalty under new rules has been reduced from Rs 5 lakhs to
Rs 1 lakh.