Drone firms seek simpler rules, support for commercial ops

What is the news?

Drone Companies have urged the Government to simplify Drone policies and provide better support that would help them scale up manufacturing and take advantage of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. 

Background 

The Government of India has announced the PLI Scheme for drone manufacturers, component makers and software companies. The scheme will run for over three years.

The scheme seeks to promote a competitive and self-sustaining drone manufacturing industry in India under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Under the scheme, the Government will offer a 20% bonus on value generated by each company in the drone space. 

But for this, drone manufacturers will need to attain annual revenue of Rs 2 crore, while component makers have a target of Rs 50 lakh per year to match. 

What are the drone companies saying on this scheme?

Several drone companies have raised concerns:

Firstly, the targets set by the PLI Scheme will largely facilitate players with already existing drones in the market.

Secondly, the scheme requires component manufacturers to establish that the drone components for which PLI is claimed are used solely in the manufacturing of a drone. However, the scheme does not provide for any certification mechanism for that.

What are the other challenges faced by the drone Industry?

Lack of talent/skill development: There is a lack of qualified drone pilots and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) engineers. The Drone Rules, 2021 address this challenge to an extent. But the Government should focus on attracting talent by offering cost-effective diploma or certification courses on pilot training at Remote Pilot Training Organisations.

Awareness of Drone Rules, 2021 to law enforcement, local authorities, and police: The lack of adequate information on liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 leads to challenges on the ground for drone pilots and companies. Hence, it was suggested that local authorities, law enforcement and police must be made aware of the provisions of the Drone Rules, 2021.

Source: This post is based on the article “Drone firms seek simpler rules, support for commercial ops” published in Livemint on 10^th Dec 2021.