A Review of UAV Regulations and Policies in India

Abstract

The emergence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is driving a paradigm shift in research and development. Initially, UAVs were limited for defense purposes only. Now, these are getting popular and are widely used in different sectors such as infrastructure, mining, and media. With the increase in usage of UAVs, legal and policy complexities of drone laws have also increased. However, the current legal framework that regulates UAVs, needs to be reviewed due to the rapid increase in UAV’s market in India. The introduction of national drone policy from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which is UAVs regulatory body in India, reduces the ambiguities in the system. However, some bottlenecks still exist. The present policy legalizes the use and operation of drones in India which needs to be analyzed carefully. This paper examines the existing UAVs regulations and issues like safety, security, and privacy associated with the use of drones. The complexities in the existing law and major policy gaps in India are also analyzed. Moreover, a comparative analysis of existing national and international drone laws is presented with emphasis on the registration of aircraft and important guidelines in regard to the qualification and license for pilots.