Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) are aircrafts that can operated autonomously or remotely without a pilot on
board. Drones offer tremendous benefits to key sectors of the economy like agriculture, mining. infrastructure, CAPEX surveillance, emergency response. transportation,
geospatial mapping, traffic management and law enforcement, while also empowering service delivery especially in remote areas.
Over the last decade. Drone technology
has achieved enhanced levels of safety and efficiency empowered by advances in aviation technology, robotics, battery power and artificial intelligence. Consequently,
there is a widespread trend for adoption of Drone technology through many use-cases across themes and across sectors. Further. consumer interest in Drones has grown
manifold in the recent years, backed by ever increasing demand for photography and film making, dominated by social media
.
Drone operations in India are currently regulated by guidelines set forth by Government of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA). MoCA notified the ‘Drone Rules,
2021’ in Aug 2021 (amended in February 2022) which is applicable to all Drones up to weights of 500 kg that are registered or operated in India. The promulgation of
these rules has greatly improved the ease of doing business in the sector. The rules have significantly decreased the clearances and compliances for registration and
piloting a Drone. Further, the February 2022 amendment abolished the requirement of a Drone pilot license, thereby allowing a remote pilot certificate issued by a
DGCA-authorized Drone school adequate for operating Drones. Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also established “Digital Sky” an online single-window
platform for all activities related to the management of Drones, which enables online registration of pilots, devices and service providers.
Uttarakhand, a state with hilly terrain and dispersed economic hubs and settlements, is well suited to benefit from the growing Drone ecosystem. Uttarakhand was among
the first states to create a Drone Application and Research Centre (DARC), a joint initiative of Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA), Government of
Uttarakhand and National Technical Research Organization (NTRO). The adoption of Drone technology also ties with the adoption of other technologies such as IOT, Al,
Blockchain and cloud by the State.
o benefit and guide the usage of Drones in the state. Government of Uttarakhand is introducing this “Uttarakhand Drone promotion and Usage Policy – 2023 (or the
“Policy”). The Government recognizes the potential and future prospects for the sector and foresees the need to act as a catalyst and enabler in establishing the Drone
ecosystem in the state.
The Government aims to position the state on the Drone ecosystem in the country by becoming a hub for manufacturing, R&D, training, repair and
maintenance of Drones This Policy would also improve governarice and service delivery via use of Drones: and would help in upskilling people in the Drone manufacturing
and services sector.
The Government of Uttarakhand wants to promote widespread use of Drones and would provide support for setting up and growing the Drone ecosystem. innovations, and
necessary talent pool. Subject to safety, security and privacy considerations, the Government would actively encourage the usage of Drones for the public service
delivery and governance. In this context, the objectives of the policy are as below:
To adopt and implement Drone Rules 2021 issued by MoCA (and its subsequent amendments)
To identify strategic areas of interest for Drone usage in Uttarakhand
To promote Drone enabled governance and delivery of public services by various departments and agencies
To establish “Drone corridors” in the state as per Drone Rules 2021 and to establish UTM to monitor Drone traffic / activities
To promote development of Drone design, manufacturing, testing and
maintenance and other service-based industries in the state
To provide easy clearances & support to the DSDM and DeS enterprises
To facilitate industry led R&D and innovation in the sector and to promote and support Drone start-ups
To build academic capacity on Drone technology and usage
To up-skill manpower in Drone and related technology with effective link- ages with educational institutes
.
To regulate the utilization of data generated by Drones and associated systems
.
To increase awareness of Drones among public and private sector enti- ties by hosting events, exhibitions and conferences
To enable public private partnerships in the field of Drone technology and applications.
The Polict aims to :
Attract & facilitate manufacturing Investment of INR 500 Cr and additional upskilling and services investment of INR 500 Cr in the state
Annual revenue of INR 500 Cr from the drone manufacturing and services ecosystem I
Create 5,000 jobs in the state and additional 5,000 certified Drone pilots in the state.
To achieve the vision set out in the Policy, the following key strategic areas of interest have been identified.
1. Drone-enabled governance
2. Innovation in Drone-enabled services (use- cases) and PPP models
3. Drone manufacturing and services ecosystem
4. Capacity building
Drone enabled Governance
Drones offer potential benefits to multiple sectors of the state economy. This policy aims to encourage and accelerate large scale use of Drones in governance and
service delivery, especially in difficult terrain in the state
Government departments in Uttarakhand would use Drone technologies for efficient and effective governance
and delivery of administrative services to the people of the state. Illustrative use cases in the state administration are enumerated below A comprehensive
department-wise list of potential use cases is appended as annexure.
Analysis of cropping data; assess crop damage due to floods or pest invasion, etc.
• Last mile PDS delivery: First mile support for produce collection
• Infrastructure and urban planning using Drone surveys and imagery
• Planning, monitoring and execution of the state’s flagship projects Disaster management
• Supply of provisions during disasters
• Monitoring and management of forest fires
Supply of medicines and other emergency goods in remote areas
Traffic management/crowd control in tourist areas
Law and order management using Drone-based monitoring system
Land records updation, and digitization through drone surveys
The State Government will select one/multiple “State Drone Services Partner(s)” as private partner(s) for drone operations across the state after the completion of
appropriate pilots and finalization of services that the State Government wants to deliver on a full-scale basis.
Innovation in Drone-enabled services (use- cases) and PPP models
To support and accelerate innovation in the Drone ecosystem, the State Government plans to:
Develop PPP
framework for use of drones in various departments
Require government departments to conduct pilots for respective
use cases
Innovation in Drone-enabled services (use- cases) and PPP models
To support and accelerate innovation in the Drone ecosystem, the State Government plans to:
Develop PPP framework for use of drones in various departments
Require government departments to conduct pilots for respective
use cases
Facilitate interaction of industry, administration and academia through events, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, etc. Support institutions and organizations in
setting up innovation labs
– Organize “Drone Hackathons to identify use cases and implementation mechanisms
• Recognize and reward start-ups / companies / individuals for sectors of Drone manufacturing and Drone related services
Drone Manufacturing and Services Ecosystem
the Policy aims to support Drone System Design and Manufacturing DSDM) and Drone enabled Services (DeS) ecosystem in the state
• DSDM and Des would be included in the list of priority sectors in the MSME policy
• Dedicated cluster(s) would be created for Drone Manufacturing & Services with access to free fly zones and other basic infra including Drone ports, testing
facilities and recharging stations
Land for manufacturing of Drones and its components, and
Drone maintenance units, would be allocated in the proximity of
the dedicated cluster(s)
. Ready to use space (land and BUA) would be provided to DSDM & DeS enterprises at discounted rates
• Blue collar employees under the drone manufacturing industry shall be covered by the norms of MSME poly
Capacity Building
police the capability and capacity of the state boot hom the Drone ecosystem by creating interlinkages betwee Bodaky, achinistration and academia.
The policy endeavors t code an extaty ready workforce through institutionalized Drone-us- fee bring a dedicated COES, select Ifts and other highes
The State Government would in coordination with SDCC and Prove Cooccheaters, develop capacity-building programs for Government officials in order to facilitate
customized training textos low’s and friods of service
The Site Government would convert 2 existing Industrial Thaining lestitutes (Us) in the state to DGCA-certified “Drone Coles of Excellence offering various courses in
Drone wangs and pikt certification: these Drone CoEs (one each Drone malecturing and repair and (1) Drone technology and wood we be setup in partnership with
experienced olde socios os soncled through an open and transparent ingrovess These Coes shall also have a DGCA approved Sosale Wet hang gaizaion (RPIO). These Drone
CoEs ith the Crone Custers and Drore ports
elearning features
.
.
Modern state of the art learning centres
Course & Curriculum as per Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC)
• Specific to Drone manufacturing, repair, maintenance, and operations
• Certification-As per DGCA Guidelines
• Fees – As per DGCA Norms / Management / Board or Respective Government body Norms
• Minimum requirements for the following to be determined and set up as part of bidding process:
• Minimum student intake Instructor to student ratio
• Minimum equipment specifications
Minimum open area for fying
• The Drone COEs would perform the following functions
.
Provide physical infra and equipment (OVC machine 3D printers, etc) and accredited drone testing laboratories for DSDM and Des enterprises across the state
Provide apprenticeships through industry partnerships
Set-up training programs in coordinator with SDCC and prote partnerships on the following
Drone design: fabrication assembly & hardare set up
Softmare development & Simulation
Data processing softnice and analytics
Drone operation and maintenance
Sensor integration and operation
Photogrammetry tools & techniques
GIS tool integration
Drone operations
• Drone operator licensing process
• Conduct Drone workshops
• Drone Courses in existing ITMs
Relevant ITIs and polytechnic colleges of the state would be required to introduce 6-month course on Drone technician and 3-month course on Drone service technician
(NSQF Level 4-400 hours).
• Relevant ITIs and polytechnic colleges of the state would be required to introduce
short term courses on Drone Operations.
RPTO/Drone Schools
The State, Government would support establishment of Drone Schools in existing educational institutions.
Eligibility:
• AI NAAC accredited private universities in the state of Uttarakhand AND
• All Government colleges in the state of Uttarakhand
Physical Infrastructure
As per DGCA norms
As per Sector Skill Counci Guidelines
All applicants should have sufficient land and building to establish Drone Schools
Course & Curriculum: The Drone schools shall provide training on approved modules defined by relevant Sector Skill Councils like Electronics Sector Skill Council,
Telecom Sector Skill Council, Aerospace & Aviation Sector Skill Council, etc.
The training modules would be similar to those defined for COEs above.
Certification: As per Sector Council and DGCA Guidelines
. Fees: As per DGCA Norms
. General Norms:
. All applicants desirous of starting Drone Schools shall apply with all relevant documents to the SDCC SDCC shall verify and then grant permission for establishing
Drone Schools.
. All Drone Schools shall submit details of participants on a half yearly basis to the SDCC.
. All Drone Schools sha’l comply to drone flying and training guidelines issued by DGCA
