Drone Registration in India

Since the launch of Digital Sky platform for drone registration in India, several laws and policies have been suggested to maximise the use of drone technology for commercial purpose. GoI in 2019 has updated the regulations of Unmanned Aircraft (UA) to prevent unauthorised flights, regulate the architecture of UAs and to develop common scalable standards. GoI has adopted “no permission, no takeoff” (NPNT) process to control the UAs through unmanned traffic management system (UTM). The process of UTM was developed after meeting the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), which includes registration, flight plan and purpose, permits and occurring proper training to handle the aircraft.

Types of Drones or UAs

Since drones appear in different sizes and designs, The Ministry of Civil Aviation has categorised drones by the weight of the aircraft and they are as follows:

S. No.	Category	Load
1	Nano	Less than or equal to 250 grams
2	Micro	Greater than 250 gms and equal to 2 kg
3	Small	Greater than 2 kg and equal to 25 kg
4	Medium	Greater than 25 kg to 150 kg
5	Large	Greater than 150 kg

Registering Drones in India

GoI has made it mandatory that all the users and UAs should be registered with Digital Sky platform and acquire UIN and UAOP license, obtain training and permissions before operating the vehicle. Digital Sky: Digital Sky was launched with the purpose of making the registration and documentation process easier for the users. Registration for Users: To register with Digital Sky, click here and follow the process as mentioned. This process helps to distinguish drones and users from unauthorised vehicles. To know about HSN code and GST rates of aircraft, click here.   Registration Page

Click the link > Select the weight of the RPA > if under, select under and click on register

Selecting RPA

After clicking on Register, fill the form with valid credentials and click Sign Up

Credentials and Sign Up

For users’ UAs over 250 grams, Click the link > Select over > Select the category as a remote pilot, operator or manufacturer > and select the appropriate sub-category > Click Register

Selection of Service Selecting the Category of the Pilot, Operator or ManufacturerAfter clicking Register, fill the form with valid credentials and click Sign Up Credentials and Sign Up   After registering with Digital Sky, the user will receive notification through the registered mail. By clicking the link in the mail, the user will be directed to select the profile of the type of drone. Profile Selection of Drone   After selecting the profile, fill the following page with valid credentials > upload the training certificate (if necessary) > select the type of drone > and click submit. Credentials and Sign up   Drone Selection

Obtaining UIN for Drones

Drones that are above 250 grams should be registered at the Digital Sky platform. The process of registering the drones is followed after registering the user at the Digital Sky platform. After registering with Digital Sky, the user will be prompted to select any of the following options to register the drone:

• Apply here for Local Drones (manufactured in India)
• Apply here for Import Drones (manufactured abroad)
• Apply here for UAOP License

The user will be prompted to fill valid credentials such as

• Name, address and PAN details of the owner
• Drone Type
• Model Number
• Serial Number
• OEM Certificate (certificate received from manufacturer)
• NPL Letter
• Name, address and nationality of the Manufacturer
• Maximum take-off weight and height attainable and
• Details of compatible payload

After filling the valid credentials, the user shall make the payment to apply Unique Identification Number (UIN) to operate the drones or UIN can also be applied through BharatKhosh official website.

S. No.	Title	Amount
1	UIN	Rs.1000
2	UAOP License	Rs.25,000
3	Renewal of UAOP License	Rs.10,000

Remote Pilot Training

The primary objective of this training is to minimise the risk. Hence, the Ministry of Civil Aviation included theoretical and technical knowledge to equip users to operate in personal or commercial platforms. The training program also includes recovery from emergencies such as system failure or accidents. Training subjects include

• Basic Radio Telephony (RT)
• Flight Planning and ATC procedures
• Basic knowledge of Aerodynamics
• Basic Aviation Meteorology

To know more about training, process and application, click here. The training is based under the Aircraft Rules, 1934. For foreign nationals, the remote pilot license can be obtained through MHA.

Requirements to acquire Remote Pilot Training

• The pilot should be 18 years or above
• Should have passed 10^th grade in English
• Should have undergone the required training
• Should have acquired security clearance from MHA
• Foreign remote pilots shall follow the procedure as per Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA)
• Logbook of the remote pilot

DGCA Approved Training Institutes

Remote Pilot License is required for all members for flying above 200 ft. Office of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) monitors the training sessions and ensures the organisation functions with all necessary requirements. The training manual applies to all approved FTOs as per CAR section 3 Series X Par 1.

Eligible Members for Remote Pilot Training

• Members seeking to complete their operator’s certificate and have completed the Private Pilot License (PPL)
• Professional or members interested in Drone technology
• Member who wishes to learn on UAV piloting and operations
• Military personnel to learn or extend the knowledge/training on Military UAVs respective to Defence Force
• Members working with an organisation that require delivering the products by drone in future
• Bloggers, Youtubers, Photographers and travellers who wish to fly the drones above 200 ft.
• Members who carry out special tasks such as rescue mission, tracking wildlife etc.

No permission, No takeoff

No permission, no takeoff (NPNT) is an app that helps the users to connect with the Ministry for operational purposes. The app decides whether shall be permitted to operate at that required moment. This application was mainly designed to operate for commercial purpose such as carrying products, rescue mission, for bloggers and YouTubers and even for hospitals. The application is designed to receive and accept the request for takeoff. If the request is denied, the user shall not operate the UA. The application will be installed in gadgets as per the convenience of the operator.

Process of Drone Registration

Step 1: After acquiring the drone, check for OEM certificate from manufacturer and NPL letter Step 2: Register with Digital Sky platform Step 3: Obtain UIN from Digital Sky platform Step 4: Engrave the UIN on the UA Step 5: Apply for UAOP License through Digital Sky platform or BharatKhosh platform

• If Foreigner, request clearance from MHA

Step 6: Apply for remote pilot training programme through DGCA approved institutions Step 7:Install NPNT