10 entities get drone use permission

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021, to 10 entities.

According to an official press release, these are:

1. Government of Karnataka: Drone-based aerial survey for creating urban property ownership records in Bengaluru.
2. National Health Mission, Mumbai: For conducting experimental BVLOS drone flights to deliver essential healthcare items in tribal areas of Jawhar in Palghar district of Maharashtra.
3. Gangtok Smart City Development: Drone-based aerial survey for the Smart City Project.
4. Steel Authority of India, IISCO Steel Plant, Burnpur, West Bengal: For conducting perimeter surveillance of the plant.
5. Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy, Hyderabad, Telangana: For conducting remote pilot training using drones.
6. Blue Ray Aviation, Gujarat: For conducting remote pilot training using drones.
7. Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Chennai: For conducting drone-based aerial spraying to assess crop health & prevent crop disease.
8. Mahindra & Mahindra, Mumbai, Maharashtra: For conducting drone-based agricultural trials & precision spraying on paddy and hot pepper crop in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
9. Bayer Crop Science, Mumbai, Maharashtra: For conducting drone-based agricultural research activities & agricultural spraying.
10. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune: For atmospheric research at these five locations—IITM Bhopal, NDA (Pune), Karad Airport, Osmanabad Airport, Mohammed Airfield (Farrukhabad).

These exemptions are valid for a period of one year from the date of approval or until further orders, whichever is earlier, and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the SOP issued by the DGCA.