India’s Drone Ecosystem

Why in News?

Over the past two decades, drone technology has emerged as a transformative tool globally; India is rapidly leveraging its potential across governance and development sectors, that reshaping public service delivery, infrastructure management, agriculture, and national security.

What about India’s Drone Ecosystem & Policy Push?

• Transition to Mainstream – India’s drone ecosystem has moved from pilot projects to a mainstream, innovation‑driven sector, supported by progressive policies and financial incentives.
• Expanding ecosystem – India’s growing drone adoption reflects a well‑developed ecosystem of manufacturers, software and component developers, service providers, training institutions, certified pilots, start‑ups, research organisations, and digital platforms—all operating under a unified regulatory framework.
• Policy support – The Government has played a pivotal role in accelerating this transition through progressive policy reforms, simplified regulations, and robust digital governance mechanisms.
• Inclusive Initiatives – The Government programmes promote women‑led entrepreneurship, rural access, and domestic manufacturing, ensuring broad participation and equitable growth.
• Multi‑Sector Integration – Drones are now embedded in agriculture, land surveys, infrastructure monitoring, disaster assessment, defence, and public services, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and precision in governance.
• Key Enablers – Liberalised Drone Rules, the Digital Sky platform, skill programmes, and manufacturing incentives have
  • Lowered entry barriers
  • Improved compliance
• Enabled drones to be seamlessly integrated into flagship government schemes and everyday public service operations.

How has the Public Service Delivery been transformed through Drone Technologies?

• Drones in Public Service – Drones are now central to flagship schemes like SVAMITVA and PMFBY, improving precision, transparency, and efficiency in governance.
• Agriculture & Farmer Services – Namo Drone Didi Scheme
• Launched in 2023, with an aim to provide drones to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) to support modern farming practices, marks a significant shift from manual and labour-intensive practices to precision agriculture.
• Impact – 1,094 drones distributed; SHGs offering spraying service,s enhancing income and social empowerment.
• Land Mapping – SVAMITVA Scheme
• Launched in 2020, intended for drone-based mapping for the survey of rural abadi areas to settle land dispute cases and to improve access to bank credit.
• Impact – Nearly 3.44 lakh villages are targeted to be covered & completed in 3.28 lakh villages (95% target), 2.76 crore property cards issued across 31 states/UTs.
• Aerial Mapping for Highway Development – NHAI mandates monthly drone-video recordings for all highway projects to ensure accurate progress tracking & accountability.
• Drone data stored in the Data Lake serves as a permanent record, usable as evidence in dispute-resolution before arbitral tribunals and courts.
• Use of Drones in Disaster Management & Emergency Response – The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) has developed, can stay stable in the air for a long time and carry heavy equipment.
• It is used to watch affected areas during floods, landslides, and other disasters.
• It provides live visuals from the sky, which helps rescue teams understand the situation quickly.
• Railway Drone Monitoring – Drones used for track, bridge, and infrastructure inspections.
• The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has adopted drones for security surveillance, real-time tracking, aerial monitoring, supporting crowd management and anti-trespass operations.
• Drones in Defence – Drones help the armed forces to watch borders, gather intelligence, and carry out precise strikes.
• During Operation SINDOOR, Indian drones and loitering munitions destroyed enemy targets safely and accurately.
• Drones work with air defence systems, radar networks, and command centres to protect infrastructure and respond quickly to threats.

How India has accelerated Drone Adoption via Policy, Programs and Reforms?

• Drone Rules, 2021 and Drone (Amendment) Rules 2022 & 2023 – It has liberalised India’s drone ecosystem.
  • Regulatory procedures were simplified, with forms reduced from 25 to 5 and approval requirements lowered from 72 to just 4.
  • Fees were rationalised and delinked from drone size.
  • Civilian drone operations were permitted for weighing up to 500 kg
  • Nearly 90% of Indian airspace was declared a Green Zone for drone operations, allowing flights up to 400 feet.
  • The Remote Pilot Certificate replaced the traditional licence issued by the DGCA.
  • The passport requirement was removed & any government-issued ID is accepted
• Impact – These reforms significantly lowered entry barriers, encouraged rural adoption, and supported Drone-as-a-Service models.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) – PLI scheme aims to promote high-value domestic manufacturing by encouraging local production & supports start‑ups & MSMEs to scale production and strengthen the local ecosystem.
• GST on drones – GST on drones was reduced to 5% (Sep 2025); earlier tax rates of 18% and 28% were removed.
• The NextGen GST reform applies to flight and motion simulators used for drone pilot training.
• This will lower costs for training institutes and further strengthen skill development in the drone ecosystem.
• Digital Governance Platforms
• Digital Sky (2018) & eGCA – Unified system for registration, certification, operational services such as flight plan and airspace map continue to be integrated with the Digital Sky Platform.
• Achievements (Feb 2026) – 38,575 drones registered (UIN issued), 39,890 Remote Pilot Certificates granted, 244 RPTOs approved nationwide supports strengthening institutional capacity for pilot training and skill development.
• Ecosystem Development & Capacity Building
• Flagship events - Bharat Drone Shakti, Mahotsav, and International Expo promote Drone‑as‑a‑Service & indigenous tech, which showcase indigenous technologies and encourage collaboration.
• DGCA-approved Training programmes & RPTOs expanding certified pilot pool.
• SwaYaan Programme – It is a Capacity Building programme, so far, 857+ activities conducted, benefiting 26,000+ participants, with 337 collaborations.
• National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) Innovation Challenge – Promotes autonomous drones for disaster management and precision agriculture, offers a Rs. 40 lakh prize pool and supports start-up incubation.

What lies ahead?

• Looking ahead, India is expanding domestic drone production and strengthening remote pilot training, linking drones with state and central programmes for socio‑economic empowerment, infrastructure oversight, and national security.
• With budget allocations, innovation grants, and strategic deployment, India is building a robust ecosystem that balances commercial growth, technological self‑reliance, and inclusive development, positioning itself as a global leader in unmanned aerial systems.

Reference

PIB | India’s Drone Ecosystem