Ban on drone import to boost manufacturing

What is the news?

The Government of India has banned the import of drones, with some exceptions, in India.

What imports of drones are being banned?

The import of any drones either in completely built up (CBU), completely knocked down(CKD) /semi knocked down (SKD) forms have been banned.

Exceptions: Import of drones for Research and Development (R&D), defence and security purposes have been exempted from the ban, but such imports will require due clearances.

This means that Government entities, educational institutions and government recognised R&D entities will be allowed to import drones in CBU, SKD and CKD form after they acquire import authorisation from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade which would be provided after consultation with the relevant ministry.

Moreover, the Government has also clarified that this drone ban does not apply to the import of drone components. 

Why was the import of drones banned?

The move is aimed at giving a boost to domestic manufacturing of drones, which is seen as a sector that is set to witness rapid growth this decade. 

However, this ban on import of drones would be bad news for drone enthusiasts, who import them for photography, video and other leisurely activities.

Source: This post is based on the article “Ban on drone import to boost manufacturing” published in  Livemint on 11^th Feb 2022.