The Ministry of Civil Aviation has released the Drones Rule 2021 post amendment draft and is being received with a lot of enthusiasm by the drone community. 

Here's a quick primer on the rules: 

• Aircraft Rules, 1937 shall no more apply to drones in India with the exception of drones weighing more than 500kg.
• Except nano unmanned aircraft systems, drones will now fall under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and will be eligible for third party insurance and compensation in case of damage to life and property
• Manufacturers and importers of unmanned aircraft systems along with a model remotely piloted aircraft system (made for research or recreation purposes) and nano systems are not required to DCGA clearance anymore.
• New rules apply to drones registered in India, being operated for the time being in or over India and to all the persons owning, engaged in leasing, operating, transferring or maintaining drones in the country.
• Unmanned aircraft systems shall be categorised under three main categories — airplane, rotorcraft, and hybrid unmanned aircraft system — and will further sub-categorised if the systems are remotely piloted aircraft system, model remotely piloted aircraft system, and autonomous unmanned aircraft system. 
• Drones will also be classified on the maximum total weight they can take, including payload. There will be a nearly three-month process to certify drones. Until the design of the aircraft and parts are approved after a type certificate from the Quality Council of India or an authorised testing entity, no individual can operate a UAV system. 
• Amendments support Made In India technologies, designs, components and systems. In addition, regional navigation satellite systems will get preference.
• Safety compliance measures include no permission to alter or remove hardware and firmware, devising a real-time tracking beacon that specifies the drone’s location, and geofencing capabilities. However, the central government could announce more safety features in the future with a six-month compliance time frame for industry.
• Number of forms needed to apply has been reduced from 25 to four. Applicants now need to pay four types of fees (unlike the earlier 72), which are issuance of certificate; issuance, transfer or deregistration of unique identification number; issuance or renewal of remote pilot licence (from INR 3000 to INR 100); and authorisation or renewal of authorisation of remote pilot training organisation. 
• The new rules have also done away with the need for type certificates, unique identification numbers and remote pilot licence by R&D entities operating drones in their own or rented premises, located in a green zone. There is no restriction on foreign ownership in Indian drone companies. 
• In September, government will release an airspace map for drones on its digital sky platform which will segregate the entire airspace of India into red, yellow, (restricted zone for unmanned aircrafts) and green zones, with a horizontal resolution equal or finer than 10 M. No flight permission will be required up to 400 Ft in green zones and up to 200 Ft in the area between 8-12 km from the airport perimeter. The map will be developed such that it can be accessed through an interactive machine-readable application programming interface on which drone pilots can plot their proposed flight plans and easily identify their zones. This will help them fly without the need to make an application or approvals.
• Flying a drone requires a licence. Individuals in the age group of 18-65 years, with a minimum a high school or equivalent qualification from a recognised board with a completed training specified by the DGCA or any authorised remote pilot training organisation will be eligible to be a remote pilot. The DGCA will prescribe drone training requirements, oversee drone schools, and provide pilot licences online. Individuals can avail their remote pilot licenses from the digital sky platform within 15 days of clearing seven days of training programme and series of tests. 
• The government has plans to introduce an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Promotion Council, which will aid the development of business-friendly government policies. It also plans to set up a drone promotion council with participation from academia, startups and other stakeholders to facilitate a growth-oriented regulatory regime.