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Drones are widely used in a plethora of sectors in India: agricultural industry, mapping and surveying topographical regions, aerial photography, security and surveillance, navigation, road and transportation guides, navigation, Lidar in mining, construction aid, disaster management and sensing and warning about emergencies, and so on. The defense industry is getting itself decked up with drones giving a clear signal that in future conflicts and military operations, drones shall play a major part in armed wars and strategy mapping.

In the contemporary battleground, drones can sought to be useful in dive bombing operations or collecting valuable information that can prove to be effective during such situations. Drones have also taken over the consumer space where drones can prove useful for last minute delivery of good and services in the e-commerce industry, retail sector, logistics and Healthcare. Drone testing are conducted to test the efficiency of drones in these fields.

 

Everything that you need to know to get your Drone Pilot License

The Finance minister of India, introduced Drone as a service model during the 2022 budget, where drones could prove to be useful to the agricultural sector of India, this category of drones were known as Kisan Drones. These drones will be used to digitalize land records, detect and monitor crop health, for the spraying of pesticides and insecticides and other nutrients and so on. 

The commencement of drones in the agricultural sector has opened great opportunities for individuals to enroll in the programs and courses designed in order to obtain skilled personnel who will be able to operate drone technology in these sectors.

Now, in order to operate drones in India, there are some rules and procedures that one has to go through:

  • DGCA: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued some rules pertaining to becoming a drone pilot and performing civil operations in India. Here are a few points:
  • Registration and Licensing: Every drone should be registered with the DGCA and the individuals should be license holders from any Remote Pilot Training Organisation(RPTO) in order to operate them. The 'Digital Sky platform' of the DGCA is where all registrations take place, providing an opportunity for getting drone registrations and approvals for your drone aviation pursuits.
  • Eligibility: The age limit for any drone pilot should be 16 and above.
  • A Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO): The RPTO is an Organisation that has been approved by the DGCA to provide an individual with Remote Pilot Training who is pursuing a Remote Pilot Certification under Rule 34 of the Drone Rules of 2021.
  • The trainers who shall provide this training:
    • Should have gone through with the DGCA-approved program about training the trainer with respect to the class and category.
    • The Remote Pilot Training is mandated to be conducted with compliance to the syllabus that has been set. It should also be approved by the TPM.
    • One should complete and qualify from a Remote Pilot Training Organisation(RPTO).\
    • One must pass all stages of the examination.
    • The drone operation license holds validity for about 10 years
  • Restrictions: There are certain issued guidelines about where a drone can be operated for e.g.: drones are not permitted near an airport or an area that has a dense population

Registrations/Licensing certification for your drone operations: It is important for you to be registered via DGCA if you want to operate a drone in India. DGCA will then provide you with a Remote Pilot Certificate.

A few criteria are:

  • Your age must be age 16 years or above.
  • You must pass your 10th or matriculation 
  • You must complete your training procedure and course from a Remote Pilot Training Organisation(RPTO).
  • You will then have to give a written exam and qualify for it.
  • Candidates will also have to clear DGCA-specified medical examinations.
  • Once you have qualified for the examination, a remote pilot certification will be provided to you by DGCA through the Digital Sky Platform within a time frame of 15 days.
  • The issued certificate holds a validation of about 10 years.
  • 65 is the maximum age for one to attain this license.
  • In light of the newly issued rules: For operating Nano drones (weight less than 250gms) and noncommercial micro drones (weight less than 2 kg), you do not any kind of certification.
  • Training period and fees: There has been an increase in drone schools. The training period is about 5-8days.
  • The fee range is also not very high, it ranges somewhere between Rs 30,000- 1 lakh.
  • The median salary of a drone pilot is about 30,000.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Civil aviation minister of India announced that "We are actively working towards making drone services easily accessible. India will soon witness a higher number of industries embracing drone innovation. This will eventually lead to a revolution that will touch the life of every citizen." PM Narendra Modi wants to make India "a drone hub by 2030" and has actively altered some regulations and strict mandates to fulfill this vision.

Looking for more information on Drone Pilot Certification? Reach out to us at: https://www.flywithgati.com/contact-us