On August 26, 2021, the new drone policy was unveiled by the Ministry of Aviation, Government of India. As per the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) these new drone rules will boost innovation and help startups, small and medium-sized enterprises by creating new opportunities.
New Drone Rules Helps Innovation in SMEs and Start-ups
The non-governmental trade body said in a statement that “Under the new Drone Rules, 2021, we welcome the government’s decision to liberalize the norms for the purpose of operating drones in the country for both non-commercial and commercial purposes. Furthermore, it added this will pave the way by creating new and innovative opportunities for the startups and SMEs in various sectors such as healthcare, mining, e-commerce, logistics, emergency response, and among many others.
NASSCOM communicated that, “The new rules will help the industry to fully enhance technology and drive innovation. From interventions in farming over huge areas to deliver medicines and goods in the far reaches of the country with zero human contact. The NASSCOM also praised the government for considering its request to assess the ‘No Permission No Take Off’ (NPNT) requirement for using drones.
The rules that are notified today, provides flexibility in the implementation of NPNT, and in the case it is notified by the government, it gives the minimum lead time of six months for compliance.
Summary – Ministry of Civil Aviation notifies liberalised Drone Rules, 2021. These new rules are aimed to Boost start-ups and SMEs in India. Furthermore, India is expected to be the global drone hub by 2030.
