Page 27 - Insurance Times February 2021

controlled by a pilot, though fully autonomous drones are Indian citizens. Also, businesses operating drones have to
in the late stages of development. Drones were originally be substantially owned and effectively controlled by Indian
created as safer, cheaper alternatives to manned military nationals. Registration is required for all but the Nano
aircraft. Today they are still used for military purposes, but category:
are now also consumer toys and purveyors of commercial Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams (.55 pounds)
operational efficiency. The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Micro: From 250 grams (.55 pounds) to 2kg (4.4 pounds)
Rules of 2020 stipulates that drones can only be sold by
authorized entities and be owned or operated by entities Small: From 2kg (4.4 pounds) to 25kg (55 pounds)
authorized by the Director General of Civil Aviation. Medium: From 25kg (55 pounds) to 150kg (330 pounds)
Large: Greater than 150kg (33 pounds)
Permits for flying these also have to be sought online and a
log has to be shared after the flight. The norms apply to all License for UTM service providers:
existing drones as well. Nano-drones weighing 250 grams
or less can be operated without a drone pilot license. The The DGCA "may also establish an Unmanned Aircraft Traffic
rules come at a time the coronavirus pandemic has Management System in the Indian airspace", and provide
highlighted the role technology can play in reducing human UTM service providers a license for this, which is a key
interface and costs. Drones offer low-cost, safe and quick requirement for carrying out BVLOS operations, such as
aerial surveys for data collection and are useful for industries delivery or remote surveillance. BVLOS drones can be
such as power, mining, realty, oil and gas exploration, controlled remotely. UTMs are necessary for BVLOS drone
railways and highways. operations as they are essentially an air traffic management
system for drones, except that they are an automated tool.
They are also effective in relief and rescue work and in
policing. A set of rules notified by the government to UTMs automatically collect information about flight details,
regulate the production, import, trade, ownership and and vicinity of drones in airspace to avoid collisions, among
operation of unmanned aircraft systems or drones seek to other things. Interestingly Digital sky provides for the one
create a framework for their use by businesses. Drones have of its kind compliance known as NPNT or No Permission, No
wide use in commercial, safety, law and order, disaster Take-off, which is an online system to secure day to day
management and surveillance operations, which cuts down permission to fly a drone. This permission would be granted
manpower requirement and costs. The government is also through the same Digital sky portal by the concerned
keen to encourage domestic production of drones. authority after you submit the UIN of the drone and UAOP
number of the operator together with purpose and area you
Drone Registration: would be flying in and if everything is found to be as per the
standard. It's like a No Objection Certificate granted by the
The draft rules by the Centre came 18 months after it government authority and a tool to secure an eye on drones
mandated that drone owners will have to get their flying in a neighborhood.
equipment registered with the DGCA and allowed their use
within the visual range. Rule number 36 and 38 in the Timeline of Indian Drone Policy
Ministry's draft state that no unmanned aircraft shall carry
any payload, unless specified by the Director General of On 7 October 2014, DGCA issued notice that civil
DGCA. Neither shall a person "drop or project or cause or operations of UAS will require official approval.
permit to be dropped or projected from a UAS (unmanned On 21 April 2016, DGCA released draft guidelines on the
aircraft system) in motion anything. civil use of UAS, inviting comments on the circular.
On 30 October 2017, DGCA released revised guidelines.
Individuals and commercial establishments flying drones will
now have to get themselves as well as the aircraft and the On 27 August 2018, DGCA introduced Drone Policy.
drone registered in addition to securing third party On 1st December 2018, regulations for the operations
insurance and employing a qualified drone pilot in certain of RPAS through Digital Sky platform came into effect.
cases. For owning and using a drone, one has to be at least
18 years old. In the case of companies, the requirement is This is done to ensure that air traffic is regulated even that
that their main place of business has to be in India and the which includes drones. Plus every operator must maintain a
chairman and at least two thirds of directors have to be record register disclosing every time as to when a drone took

The Insurance Times, February 2021