DRONES

May 30, 2021

Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted permission of “No-Permission-No-Takeoff' (NPNT) compliant drone operations at 166 additional green zones to facilitate, smoothen, and promote drone operations in the country.

About:

  • The approved sites allow drone usage up to 400 ft Above Ground Level (AGL). These zones are in addition to the Sixty-Six green zone sites approved earlier.

  • The list of the approved green zone sites can be accessed from the Digital Sky Platform (https://digitalsky.dgca.gov.in).

  • As per DGCA, under “NPNT or ‘No Permission – No Take-off’ compliance, every Remotely Piloted Aircraft (except Nano) has to obtain valid permission through the Digital Sky platform before operating in India.

  • The framework mandates users to register on the online portal that acts as the national unmanned traffic management system for remotely piloted aircraft.

  • Flying in these approved ‘green-zones’ will require only intimation of the time and location of the flights via the Digital Sky portal or the app.

  • Drone flights in the green zone sites shall be compliant with the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 dated 12th March 2021 and other relevant orders/ guidelines issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.