hardware and software capabilities of drones, as well as facilities
to test and certify them for airworthiness. Vipul and other drone
manufacturers have been holding frequent meetings with the
DGCA to tide over the crisis. “But things are just not moving,” said
the 26-year-old entrepreneur. The DGCA is now looking at drafting
“Drone Regulations 2.0”.
“We are going to allow drones to fly beyond the visual flying
range, carry up to a certain limit as payload, permit autonomous
flying and allow high-speed rotors in drones,” said Pradeep Singh
Kharola, secretary, civil aviation ministry. The current policy
allows flights only up to 400ft, or visual range of flight, which is not
sufficient for carrying out most commercial activities.
But the industry seems sceptical. “The government should not
push for a new policy without being able to implement the first
one,” said Vipul. It wants the government to set up proper testing
labs and spell out specifications for dealing with rogue drones.
The DGCA continues to view drones as a safety threat for aircraft
and airports, although the government has legalised their use. “They
are still a security threat and very much in the regulatory grey zone.
There are issues with drones, leading to the closure of airports in
many places,” said a DGCA official. He said on the issue of drones,
there is a policy vacuum even among global regulators like the
International Civil Aviation Organisation. “If you look at it that way,
then we are not much behind other countries,” he said.
Drone manufacturers does not want traditional civil aviation rules
to be applicable for them. “Drones are like motorcycles. There could
be hundreds of manufacturers for them and there can even be self-
assembled drones,” said Pattabiram. “The policy for drones has to
be different,” he said.
The government had promised a separate regulatory body for
drones working with or under the DGCA. Pattabiram said that
promise should be honoured at the earliest before drones are
turned into a serious air safety issue. “At present, there are about 40
million drones in the world alongside 30,000 to 40,000 aircraft. That
is 700 drones per aircraft. This is going to double in the next four
years,” he said. Pattabiram’s company has asked the civil aviation
ministry to consider GPS-based tracking of drones.
Another concern is regarding the NPNT requirement for drones
operating in India. The present policy makes it mandatory for
drones operating in India, but so far only a few manufacturers have
been able to accommodate the technology. “Being compliant was
not an easy task. But we are happy that it distinguishes us from the
Chinese drones,” said Nihar Vartak, cofounder of Bengaluru-based
Asteria Aerospace, which supplies drones to the Army and the Navy.
“All that is needed now is a proper regulatory environment,” he said.
With the frequency of drone sightings by aircraft on the rise,
drone manufacturers want the government to wake up and act
quickly. Drone companies have already started limiting their
spend on R&D. Companies like SSAI have started branching out
to new areas. Investors, too, have adopted a wait and watch policy.
“Drone companies had received good funding after a policy was
announced,” said Vipul. “Now, investors worry whether we will turn
into non-performing assets.”as the government drags its feet
on the issue. “Earlier, our clients
would get the required permissions
from local and district authorities.
But, with the new regulations in
place, taking permission has be-
come more difficult,” said Vipul.
For drone manufacturers who
want to sell in India, the DGCA
has listed requirements including
software identification of drones,
registered flight modules, 'no
permission, no takeoff ' (NPNT)
system and flight logs. The
regulator is, however, struggling
with framing a system to check the
AIMING HIGH
A participant at the Drone
Olympics held during Aero
India 2019 in BengaluruBHANU PRAKASH CHANDRAJUNE 30, 2019 • THE WEEK 109