India’s Airspace Map Launched: DGCA launches map for drone operators

DGCI Airspace Map is available on DGCA’s digital sky platform at https://digitalsky.dgca.gov.in/home.

The Central Government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has released India’s airspace map for drone operations on September 24, 2021, taking another step toward realizing our joint vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The map can be found at https://digitalsky.dgca.gov.in/home on the DGCA’s digital sky platform.

The drone airspace map is a follow-up to the Central Government’s liberalizedDrone Rules, 2021, which were announced on August 25, 2021, the PLI scheme for drones, which was released on September 15, 2021, and the Geospatial Data Guidelines, which were released on February 15, 2021. All of these policy changes will help the drone industry grow faster than expected.

WHY ARE DRONES IMPORTANT?

Drones offer tremendous benefits to almostall sectorsof the economy. These include–agriculture, mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response, transportation, geo-spatial mapping, defense, and law enforcement to name a few. Drones can be significant creators ofemployment and economic growthdue to their reach, versatility, and ease of use, especially in India’sremote and inaccessible areas.

Given its traditional strengths in innovation, information technology, frugal engineering, and its huge domestic demand, India has the potential of becoming aglobal drone hub by 2030.

WHAT’S THE LIKELY IMPACT OF THESE DRONE INITIATIVES?

Thanks to the new rules, the drone PLI scheme, and the freely accessible drone airspace maps, the drones and drone components manufacturing industry may see an investment of overINR 5,000 croreover the next three years. The annual sales turnover of the drone manufacturing industry may grow from INR 60 crore in 2020-21 fold to overINR 900 crorein FY 2023-24. The drone manufacturing industry is expected to generate over10,000 direct jobsover the next three years.

The drone services industry (operations, mapping, surveillance, agri-spraying, logistics, data analytics, software development, etc.) will grow to an even larger scale. It is expected to grow to over INR 30,000 crore in the next three years. The drone services industry is expected to generate overfive lakhjobs in three years.

TOP 10 FEATURES OF THE DRONE AIRSPACE MAPS

1. The drone airspace map is an interactive mapof India that demarcates theyellow and red zonesacross the country.
2. Green zone is the airspaceupto 400 feetthat has not been designated as a red or yellow zone; andupto 200 feetabove the area located between 8-12 km from the perimeter of an operational airport.
3. In green zones,no permissionwhatsoever is required for operating drones with an all-up weight upto500 kg.
4. Yellow zone is the airspaceabove 400 feetin a designated green zone;above 200 feetin the area located between 8-12 km from the perimeter of an operational airport andabove groundin the area located between 5-8 km from the perimeter of an operational airport.
5. Drone operations in yellow zone require permission from the concernedair traffic control authority– AAI, IAF, Navy, HAL etc. as the case may be.
6. Yellow zone has been reduced from45 km earlierto 12 km from the airport perimeter.
7. Red zone is the‘no-drone zone’ within which drones can be operated only after a permission from theCentral Government.
8. The airspace map may be modified byauthorised entitiesfrom time to time.
9. Anyone planning to operate a drone shouldmandatorilycheck the latest airspace map for any changes in zone boundaries.
10. The drone airspace map isfreely availableon the digital sky platform to all without any login requirements.

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