Aviation Ministry Makes Drone Registration Mandatory Starting January 13 In India

Drones are an interesting addition to the endless list of new gadgets. While the applications are numerous such as drone delivery, the misuses are also mounting. Recent incidents with drones at international airports have caused havoc multiple times. This is why the Indian government has announced the registration of drone users from January 13.

Drone Registration With Aviation Ministry

Drone users in India will need to register their details with the aviation ministry. Come January 13, all drone users, including those operating toy drones, will need to register on the aviation ministry portal. TOI reports that aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the registration process will begin shortly.

Sources from the ministry say that the purpose is to get a database of drone users in the country. "The exercise will begin with nano (weighing up to 250 grams) and micro (weighing between 250 grams to 2 kg) drones, as they account for 80 percent of all drones being used in India currently," an official said to TOI.

The drone users will have roughly a month's window to enlist themselves on the aviation ministry portal. Reports also state that the ministry plans to take action on those drone users operating their drones without enlisting in the given window frame. The penalty and other punishments are currently being chalked out with several factors being considered.

Drone Training In India

Drone registration for toy nano drones is also required as even 1 kg drone can be used as a toy. At the same time, there will be no registration fee for nano and micro drones, the officials say. The aviation ministry is looking for two to four hours of training for nano users. Micro drone users will have 20 to 25 hours of training, followed by an online video test, the ministry notes.

However, all of these are work in progress and the final draft will be announced shortly. While these policies are for those already holding drones, new drone users in India will have a registration process at the time of buying. Similar to SIM card activation, the new drones will be activated once the registration and verification are done.