Well, the shortest and sweetest answer to your question is Yes, drone delivery is perfectly legal in India, but there is a lot of work being done in this particular area. Like, there are many companies that are testing drone deliveries, and just like that, there are more and more rules and regulations being set by the government.
What Are The Laws Regarding Drone Delivery In India?
In India, the idea of delivering parcels using drone technology is slowly gaining momentum, however, it hasn’t fully caught on yet. And just so you know, it is actually the Ministry of Civil Aviation that is laying down the rules and regulations and all the governing factors for drone delivery in India. For corporations that wish to participate in drone deliveries, the regulations laid down by the Ministry of Civil Aviation should be observed as these guidelines are aimed at ensuring safe and responsible drones are flown, you know?
Though the launch of the Drone Rules of 2021 made significant progress by allowing the use of drones for business, including delivery, it was kinda a defining moment. And let’s say a business wants to go ahead with drone deliveries in India, well, they’d have to do quite a lot of work like getting hands on the licenses, following all the rules and regulations set by the Ministry Of Civil Aviation, and considering all the safety measures. Sure, at first it might appear like a far-fetched thing for 2024, but soon, this drone delivery thing can come into action as it is being tested in many other parts of the world.
Then there were Drone (Amendment) Rules in 2022, which also made the regulations simpler by eliminating many of the previous limitations and issues in the overall process, but still, there is a need for more work on these rules and regulations. So, let’s see what happens in the future.
Current State of Drone Delivery Trials in India
Despite the existing government restrictions, a number of Indian companies are testing drone delivery in a limited way under their own pilot projects. As more and more of these tests are done in India, we’ll get to know more about how successful these drone deliveries are. And if everything goes smoothly, sure, you’ll be seeing the expansion of things at a very rapid pace because the eCommerce scene is already so big in the country.
So far, the drone services that have been tested by some companies in India are still in a very early stage, because of the limited use of drones. Companies like Garuda Aerospace, which is based in Hyderabad, are the ones who are going at it with good intentions and they’re doing a whole bunch of tests. It is building drones that are cabin cycling and can be used in all city spaces. With the help of such industry leaders as Zomato and Dunzo, Garuda Aerospace is testing if drones are the answer to food, grocery, etc. delivery in the country. The concept in itself is really unique and sounds pretty good, and we can surely hope for something good in the future.
