India's Budding Drone Industry To Grow Rs 15,000 Crore By 2026

The government is making every effort to help domestic businesses by altering its policies and regulations as part of its push to promote the Make-in-India initiative. This will result in an increase in the number of goods produced in the nation. Making drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is one industry that the government is heavily promoting and supporting.

From its applications in agriculture, defence, law enforcement, surveillance, delivery services, worksite efficiency, private occasions and so on, the possibilities for the use of drones are endless. With the government showing its clear intent to make India a global hub for the manufacturing of drones by 2030, the prospects for the growth of this sector are immensely strong.

The Civil Aviation Ministry estimate that India's drone industry would grow from its present turnover of roughly Rs 80 crore to a total of Rs 12,000-15,000 crore by 2026.

The country's drone legislation and regulations have lately undergone significant changes according to the civil aviation ministry. A remote pilot certificate is no longer necessary to operate small to medium-sized drones up to 2 kg for non-commercial activities, according to the government.

In order to promote the expansion of India's drone sector, the Drone Rules 2021 have eliminated several forms and approvals from the prior regulations. Drone manufacturers and operators formerly had to complete 25 forms, but now there are just five, and the overall quantity of paperwork has decreased significantly.
Additionally, a drone can now be flown over about 85% of India's overall airspace, a six-fold increase from the past.

PLI Scheme For Drone Industry

In addition to encouraging domestic firms to play a crucial role in the development of this industry, the government August 2021 launched the PLI (performance linked incentive scheme) to strengthen the industry and also assist the country to become less dependent on imports.

Prior to the scheme, it had permitted higher payloads in order to allow for the possibility of using the gadgets as unmanned flying taxis. The PLI Scheme, which will provide drone makers with an incentive of Rs 120 crore over three years, has also prohibited the importation of drones.

The number of drone start-ups in the nation grew 34.4 per cent between August 2021 and February 2022 as a result of the enormous demand and market expansion. As of now, there are currently 220 drone startups in India.

Significant Development

Over the past year, the government has dramatically loosened the rules governing drone use and streamlined the clearance and certification procedure. Additionally, it has given the go-ahead for testing drone operations beyond visual line of sight. When everything is said and done, this will allow for drone deliveries.

Enterprises of all sizes are showing a great deal of interest in the industry, and some of the major corporate houses in India have acquired holdings in some of the businesses that are involved in the production of drones.