New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday granted the first 'Type Certificate' under the new drone rules to IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd, a Gurugram-based aero firm established in April 2017. It is one of India’s leading Kisan drone manufacturers.
Congratulating the company, Scindia said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is working in the direction of the Prime Minister’s vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”. "India has set a target to become a drone hub by 2030 and issuing of a Type Certificate in record 34 days is a step in that direction. The other drone prototypes shall also be awarded certification soon," he added.
IoTech has received the Type Certificate barely 34 days after submission of its online application on the DGCA’s DigitalSky Platform on 11 May 2022. “This is despite the fact that the Drone Rules, 2021, allow 60 days to Quality Council of India (QCI) or the Certification Bodies (CB) and 15 days to DGCA for issuing the Type Certificate (i.e 75 days in total), provided all the necessary documents and test reports are as per specifications,” the Aviation Ministry said in a statement.
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Briefing about the new Drone Rules 2021 policy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation tweeted: "Under the Drone Rules 2021, a Type Certificate is issued for a specific type of unmanned aircraft system (drone) by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the recommendation of the Quality Council of India (QCI) or an authorised testing entity."
With the initiative to bring in the use of drones not just in defense and security but in other areas such as agriculture, the Civil Aviation Ministry in an official statement said that drone manufacturers are free to approach any certification body approved by the QCI for their Type Certificate test reports, a move which is likely to bring in more people on board.
The Aviation Ministry, the DGCA, certification bodies, and industry bodies are working closely to help applicants in their certification process, it noted. "Suggestions in the certification scheme are welcome and will be included, without compromising on safeguards related to quality, safety and national security," the statement read.
