General rules for flying a drone in India
Before we talk about the specific rules, let’s talk about how drones are classified first in India.
150m max height
Don’t fly over crowds
Don't interfere with aircraft
Only line of sight
India has many places that make for excellent drone shots and footage. Before you decide to document your visit to Taj Mahal with your drone though you must keep in mind the drone laws set in place by Indian authorities.
Which brings us to the topic of this article. Drone laws in India and how to navigate them as a drone pilot. Stick around because this’ll be an in-depth article.
In most cases, yes. You can fly your drone in India as long as it’s within the rules and regulations set by the Indian authorities.
When we say authorities we’re more specifically talking about the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation.
If you’d like to contact the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation directly before you travel with any questions you might have, e-mail them at a.yadav@ias.nic.in
You should also take note that India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced the country’s first Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) for drones on August 27, 2018 to go into effect December 1, 2018. Read the full ruling here (Section 3–Air Transport, Series X, Part I).
Good question because not all places in India are okay for you to fly over. India has special zones where flying drones are prohibited. As a rule of thumb, avoid flying over crowds, critical infrastructure areas and military bases as well as airports.
When it comes to National Parks in which case you must seek clarification from the authority concerned.
Take care not to fly over private land and buildings unless you have express authorization from the owner.
Before we talk about the specific rules, let’s talk about how drones are classified first in India.
Drone categories in India:
Keep in mind that besides nano drones (sub 250 grams), all other categories should be registered before flying.
Apart from drone classification, India has specific technical requirements for the drones they allow to be flown within their airspace. These mandatory requirements include:
With that out of the way, let’s look at the actual rules governing drone use in India:
India’s No Permission, No Takeoff Policy
Or NPNT for short. Before every single flight (yes, EVERY flight) pilots are required to request permission to fly via a special drone app. The app will automatically reject or approve your flight, it usually doesn’t take much time but it can be annoying to request permission every time.
If a drone pilot tries to fly without receiving permission from the Digital Sky Platform, he or she will simply not be able to take off.
Every drone pilot in India must register their drone and request permission to fly for each flight through India’s Digital Sky Platform. The Digital Sky Platform and further details will be available on the DGCA website from December 1, 2018.
India is home to many beautiful historical sites that make for some of the best shots and films out there. I think any drone enthusiast visiting India should take their time and take as much footage as they can, but only after familiarizing themselves with the legal landscape regarding drone use.
Otherwise you might find yourself with your drone confiscated, a hefty fine or worse, even jail time in some rare cases.
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