Many people have a hobby of taking pictures or recording videos with drone cameras. But because the rules for flying drones in the country are not well known, many people are reluctant to buy drones in the end. Again, many people get into trouble by buying drones without knowing the rules.
Drones had a role in some of the recent sabotage operations. And so the first question for many is:
Can ordinary people in India use drones?
The answer is, of course you can. There are no restrictions on the use of drones by ordinary people. However, drones cannot be used in some areas. It includes border areas, government offices, some sensitive areas. Drones should be used only after knowing them well.
Let’s take a look at the rules for using any type of drone.
Nano drones: Drones weighing less than 250 grams are considered to belong to this genus. Anyone can buy it and fly it. No permission required.
Micro drone: Weight between 250 grams to 2 kilograms. This requires a permit. You have to get ‘Operator Permit 1‘ from the country’s ‘Unmanned Aircraft System‘. Only then can it be flown.
Small drone: Weight between 2 kg to 25 kg. In this case also ‘Operator Permit 1’ is required.
Medium drone: Weight between 25 kg to 150 kg. This type of drone requires ‘Operator Permit 2’ to fly.
Large drone: Weight above 150 kg. It also requires ‘Operator Permit 2’.
Remember, to fly all but one nano-drone, you need to go to the Civil Aviation website and register them. In addition to this, you may have to take an exam for ‘Operator Permit’. It is better to be mentally prepared about that too.
India’s drone policy changes from time to time. Drones should be selected only if they know about it well.
