Drones in India Fly to 40k Mark
1.
Rapid Ecosystem Expansion
As of February 2026, India has:
o
38,575+ registered drones (UIN)
o
39,890 DGCA-certified remote pilots
o
244 approved Remote Pilot Training Organisations
(RPTOs)
2.
Strong Policy Backbone
The Government introduced Drone Rules, 2021 and subsequent amendments
(2022–23), significantly liberalising regulations.
3.
Simplified Compliance Framework
o
Forms reduced from 25 to 5
o
Approvals cut from 72 to 4
o
90% of airspace declared Green Zone (up to 400
feet)
o
Remote Pilot Certificate replaced traditional pilot
licence
o
Fees rationalised and GST reduced to 5% (Sept 2025)
4.
Digital Governance Platforms
o
Digital Sky for drone registration and
airspace management
o
Regulatory services migrated to eGCA platform
5.
Manufacturing Push via PLI Scheme
₹120 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme supports domestic
drone and component manufacturing, boosting MSMEs and startups.
6.
SVAMITVA Scheme – Land Mapping Revolution
Under SVAMITVA Scheme:
o
3.28 lakh villages surveyed (95% target achieved)
o
2.76 crore property cards prepared
o
31 States/UTs signed MoUs
Drones help resolve land disputes and improve access to bank credit.
7.
Women Empowerment – Namo Drone Didi
The Namo Drone Didi initiative:
o
1,094 drones distributed to women SHGs
o
500+ under the flagship scheme
o
Enhances farm productivity and income generation
o
Promotes precision agriculture
8.
Agriculture Modernisation
Drones improve crop spraying, reduce input costs, enhance risk assessment under
schemes like PMFBY, and boost rural livelihoods.
9.
Infrastructure Monitoring
o
National Highways Authority of India mandates
monthly drone video monitoring of highway projects.
o
Drone data used for project oversight and legal
dispute resolution.
10.
Railway Surveillance & Maintenance
Ministry of Railways deploys drones for track and bridge inspections.
The Railway Protection Force uses drones for security, crowd monitoring, and
anti-trespass operations.
11.
Disaster Management Applications
The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR)
developed drones for flood and landslide monitoring, aiding faster rescue
coordination.
12.
Defence & National Security
Drones support surveillance, intelligence, and precision operations. During Operation
SINDOOR, drones and loitering munitions were used for targeted strikes.
13.
Capacity Building & Innovation
o
SwaYaan HR programme: 857+ activities, 26,000+
participants
o
National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application
and Research (NIDAR): ₹40 lakh prize pool
o
Platforms like Bharat Drone Mahotsav promote
Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS)
14.
Socio-Economic Impact
Drones are embedded across agriculture, land governance, infrastructure,
disaster response, and defence — improving efficiency, transparency, and
precision in public service delivery.
15.
Future Outlook
With policy support, skill development, GST reforms, and indigenous
manufacturing incentives, India is positioning itself as a global leader in
unmanned aerial systems and drone-driven governance.
Overall:
India has transitioned from experimental drone use to a structured,
policy-backed, innovation-driven ecosystem integrating drones into governance,
rural development, infrastructure management, and national security.