India’s Expanding Drone Ecosystem

38,500+ drones registered nationwide (Feb 2026).
39,900 Remote Pilot Certificates issued by DGCA.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme: ₹120 crore outlay for domestic drone & component manufacturing.
GST on drones reduced to 5%, lowering commercial costs.
SVAMITVA drone mapping: covered ~3.28 lakh villages, preparing 2.76 crore property cards.
Namo Drone Didi Scheme (launched Nov 2023): drones provided to Women Self‑Help Groups for precision agriculture.
Digital Sky & e‑GCA: single‑window digital platforms for registration, certification, and airspace permissions.
SwaYaan Programme: capacity building in unmanned aircraft systems.
NIDAR: National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research.

Drone Rules, 2021 and amendments (2022, 2023) liberalised the ecosystem by simplifying approvals, rationalising fees, expanding green‑airspace access, and replacing traditional pilot licences with DGCA‑issued Remote Pilot Certificates.
The Digital Sky platform and e‑GCA enable end‑to‑end digital governance – from drone registration to type certification and airspace clearance – through a single‑window system.
Fiscal incentives (PLI, GST reduction) and skill‑development programmes (SwaYaan, NIDAR) aim to create a robust domestic drone manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.

Agriculture: Drones enable precision spraying, crop health monitoring, and empower women SHGs, boosting productivity and livelihood.
Land Governance: SVAMITVA‑driven aerial surveys generate accurate land records, reduce disputes, and improve access to credit.
Infrastructure Monitoring: Real‑time drone surveillance of highways, railways and construction projects enhances quality control and dispute resolution.
Disaster Management: Specialized drones (e.g., NECTAR) provide prolonged aerial surveillance, rapid damage assessment, and support rescue operations.
Defence & Security: Border surveillance, intelligence gathering and precision strikes (e.g., Operation SINDOOR) augment India’s strategic capabilities.
Make in India: PLI and GST incentives stimulate domestic manufacturing, MSME participation, and export potential.

Article 246 (Union List) – Civil Aviation and Defence are Union subjects; drone regulation falls under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence.
DGCA Authority – Empowered under the Aircraft Act, 1934 to issue Remote Pilot Certificates and enforce Drone Rules.
National Policy on Drone Development (2021) – Aligns with Digital India and Smart Cities initiatives, promoting indigenous technology and skill development.

All data are as per PIB release dated 19 Feb 2026.