Regulatory framework
Compliance, airspace and safety
The framework we operate under, written out in full — because in this industry the difference between a supplier and a liability is documentation.
Credentials
Our regulatory instruments
Publish a number here only when the instrument has actually been issued. An unverifiable claim on this page is worse than an empty field.
Airspace
Green, yellow, red — and why it matters in Madhya Pradesh
Indian airspace is published as a colour-coded map on the Digital Sky platform. The colour of the ground beneath your site determines whether the work can be flown at all.
Operation up to 400 feet above ground level without prior flight permission, subject to visual line of sight, daylight, and no operation over crowds.
Controlled airspace. Prior permission is required through Digital Sky and is granted for a specific location, time window and mission.
Prohibited. Operation requires approval from the Central Government and is not available for routine commercial work.
The Madhya Pradesh reality
Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior all have operational airports. Substantial portions of each city sit inside controlled or restricted airspace as a result.
This is the single most common failure in local drone procurement: a vendor quotes a job, mobilises, and only then discovers the site cannot be cleared. The client has already lost time and paid mobilisation.
We check coordinates against the live map before we quote, and we put the answer in writing.
The instruments
What a lawful commercial operation requires
| Instrument | Applies to | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Identification Number (UIN) | Every drone above nano category | DGCA via Digital Sky |
| Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) | Every pilot in commercial operation | DGCA, through an authorised RPTO |
| Operator permit | The operating organisation | DGCA |
| Type certificate | Every drone model manufactured, sold or commercially operated | DGCA |
| Third-party insurance | Small category and above | Licensed insurer |
| Flight permission | Each mission in controlled airspace | Digital Sky platform |
| BVLOS authorisation | Operation beyond visual line of sight | DGCA, corridor or specific approval |
Operating without these attracts financial penalties and, for serious breaches, criminal proceedings under Indian aviation law. For a supplier working with government departments, a single enforcement action ends the business. That is why we treat compliance as the product rather than as overhead.
Safety management
How we keep the record clean
- Accountable manager with personal sign-off on every flight authorisation
- Pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight checklists recorded for every sortie
- Two-person crew — pilot plus observer — on all commercial operations
- Site-specific risk assessment issued before mobilisation
- Incident and near-miss reporting with a no-blame internal process
- Monthly regulatory change review covering rule amendments, corridor approvals and policy movement
- Battery health testing on a scheduled cycle for the entire fleet
Regulatory watch
Legislation in motion
India's drone framework is being rewritten. A draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill has been circulated for consultation which, once enacted, would replace the current Drone Rules as standalone legislation — with stricter penalties, mandatory insurance, a victim compensation mechanism and wider liability provisions.
Until it is enacted, the Drone Rules 2021 remain in force. We track the status monthly and brief our contract customers when anything changes that affects their obligations.
Page reviewed: [ MONTH YEAR ]
Questions
Compliance
Can I fly a drone in Bhopal without permission?
It depends entirely on the exact location. Parts of the city fall within airport-proximity controlled airspace where prior permission through Digital Sky is required. Check your coordinates on the Digital Sky map before flying.
Do I need a licence to fly a drone in India?
For commercial operation of any drone above the nano category you need a remote pilot certificate obtained through a DGCA-authorised training organisation, and the drone must carry a valid unique identification number.
What happens if I operate without registration?
Financial penalties apply, and serious violations can attract criminal proceedings under Indian aviation law. Equipment may also be confiscated.
Is third-party insurance compulsory?
Third-party liability cover is required for drones in the small category and above. We maintain cover on our operating fleet and provide certificates with our pre-mobilisation documentation.
How do I verify that a drone service provider is legitimate?
Ask for three things: the operator permit, the remote pilot certificate of the pilot who will actually fly, and the unique identification number of the specific airframe. A legitimate operator produces all three without hesitation.