Exploratory Study of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulations in India and the Challenges Ahead in Evolving Aviation Ecosystem

Abstract

skies over central New Delhi in India were lit up by a spectacular display of over a thousand Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) on the 75th republic day celebration in January 2022. The usage of UAS or drones, as commonly referred to, has gained momentum worldwide, including in India, signifying its importance in the aviation ecosystem. The advancement of technology and large-scale investment has fast-tracked the proliferation of UAS in civil, commercial, and military domains. The government of India and national aviation regulators are continuously working to provide a concrete regulatory framework to support the growth of the UAS sector and minimize the risk emerging from the operation of UAS. A recent step towards the same was taken by passing Drone, Rules 2021. The UAS ecosystem is still in its initial stages of development with uncertainties in privacy, safety, data protection, and governance issues. This paper aims to provide an overview of the UAS regulations in India and their implications for the UAS ecosystem. The paper highlights how such rules will affect civil and commercial UAS usage and its implication on the rights of individuals.