New drone rules to help startups and SMEs, boost innovation: Nasscom

New drone policy was unveiled on Aug 26, 2021 (Representational Image)

The new drone rules, unveiled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on August 26, will boost innovation, help small and medium-sized enterprises and startups and create new growth opportunities, said the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom).

"We welcome the government’s decision to liberalize norms for operating Drones in the country for both commercial and non-commercial purposes under the new Drone Rules, 2021," the non-governmental trade body said in a statement.

This will not only usher new growth opportunities but will also enable startups and SMEs to create innovative use cases and applications in various sectors like e-commerce, mining, healthcare, emergency response, logistics among others, it added.

"The new rules will enable the industry to fully leverage technology to drive innovation in critical growth sectors. From precise interventions in farming over large areas to delivering medicines in far reaches of the country to delivering goods with zero human contact," Nasscom said.

Also Read | Aviation ministry passes Drone Rules, 2021 to ensure ease of using drones in India; check details

Nasscom also lauded the government for taking into consideration its request to reassess the No Permission No Take Off (NPNT) requirement for using drones.

"The rules notified today, provides for some flexibility in the implementation of NPNT and gives a minimum lead time of six-month for compliance, in case it is notified by the government," the statement added.

Further, the rules abolish certain approvals, reduce the number of permissions required and has eased the zoning restrictions thereby improving Ease of Doing Business considerably, it said.

"Overall, the liberalized regime for civilian drones is progressive and should provide a strong fillip to the growth of the sector in India," the trade association further noted.