CIVIL AVIATION REGULATOR ALLOWS COMMERCIAL USE OF DRONE

The government has unveiled a landmark policy allowing commercial use of drones. In the initial phase, however, the operation will only be allowed along the visual line of sight during the day-time and strictly not above 400-metres.
The policy also requires drone operators to secure registration and a unique identification number will be provided to the pilots or the owners of the drone.
As directed by the Air Safety Regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), class of drones, who weigh less than or equal to 250 grams and government operated drones, would not require the license. Those with an operator’s license need to have features such as a global positioning system, return-to-home facility, anti-collision capability, flight controller with flight data logging capacity, a SIM to ensure that drones do not take off without permission and an identification plate, the ministry said quoting the rules framed by DGCA.
Policymakers intend to expand the scope of regulation in the future to encourage large-scale adoption of drones.