The Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has prohibited the import of foreign drones with immediate effect, according to a notification by the DGFT on February 9. Exemptions from the ban have been provided for drones used for research and development, defence and security purposes. However, import of drone components will remain free, the notification added. "With the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 (notified on 25th Aug 21), drone airspace map (24th Sep 21), drone PLI scheme (30th Sep 21), UTM policy framework (24th Oct 21), drone certification scheme (26th Jan 22) and single window DigitalSky Platform (26th Jan 22) in place, this is a good time to invest in the Indian drone industry." — Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Amber Dubey This is the latest attempt by the Indian government to boost indigenous…
