Lok Sabha Question No. 2282 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-12
Subject: Promotion of Civilian Drone
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Smt. Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2282

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th February 2026 )

## PROMOTION OF CIVILIAN DRONE

2282.    SMT SAJDA AHMED Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government has any national roadmap to promote and regulate civilian drones for developmental use in rural and remote areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the data on civilian drone registrations and operations, State-wise; and
- (c) the measures proposed to be taken to prevent misuse of drones while encouraging their use in healthcare, agriculture, disaster response and infrastructure mapping?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION            (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a) The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken various measures to promote and regulate civilian drones for developmental use in the country including rural and remote areas, such as:
- (i) Drone Rules, 2021 were issued on 25th August 2021 to enhance the overall ease of doing business and to ensure safe, secure and regulated operations.
- (ii)  Subsequently, amended Drone Rules 2021 issued on 27.09.2023 and 21.08.2024 respectively,  removed  the  mandatory  requirement  of  passport  for  the  Remote  Pilot Certificate (RPC) as well as registration and de-registration/transfer of drone.
- (iii)  The  Indian  Airspace is open for drone operations by making nearly 90% of the Airspace as green zones where operations can be undertaken without any permission. Even in red and yellow zones drone operations can be undertaken after taking requisite permissions.
- (iv)  Certification  Scheme  for  Unmanned  Aircraft  System,  2022  was  published  on 26.01.2022, to establish a global certification and accreditation framework for drones that enables scale, with appropriate safeguards, the commercial application of various drone technologies.

(b) The data on Drone registration State-Wise till 31.01.2026 is attached as Annexure.

(c)To prevent misuse of drones and to ensure their safe, secure and regulated operations in  the  country,  the  Drone  Rules  2021  have  been  notified.  The  said  rules,  inter  alia, provide for (a) mandatory Type Certification of drones, (b) possession of a valid Remote

Pilot  Certificate  (RPC),  (c)  imparting  of  training  only  through  DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs) and (d) mandatory Unique Identification Number (UIN) which is crucial for identification and tracking of drones.

Further,  provisions  like  prohibition  of  carriage  of  arms,  ammunition,  explosives, military stores or any other dangerous goods by drones, prior permission for operation of  drones  in  Red  and  Yellow  Zones,  suspension  and  cancellation  of  certificate  and authorisation for violations of such provisions have been incorporated in the rules to prevent misuse.

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## ANNEXURE IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2282 REGARDING 'PROMOTION OF CIVILIAN DRONES' DUE FOR ANSWER ON 12.02.2026

UNIQUE IDENITIFICATION NUMBERS OF DRONES (STATE-WISE)

| S. No   | States                                   |   No of UIN |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh                           |        1876 |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh                        |          25 |
| 3       | Assam                                    |         195 |
| 4       | Bihar                                    |         489 |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh                             |         161 |
| 6       | Goa                                      |         149 |
| 7       | Gujarat                                  |        2305 |
| 8       | Haryana                                  |        2179 |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh                         |         146 |
| 10      | Jharkhand                                |         150 |
| 11      | Karnataka                                |        3258 |
| 12      | Kerala                                   |        1818 |
| 13      | Madhya Pradesh                           |         480 |
| 14      | Maharashtra                              |        8210 |
| 15      | Manipur                                  |          12 |
| 16      | Meghalaya                                |          43 |
| 17      | Mizoram                                  |           2 |
| 18      | Nagaland                                 |           7 |
| 19      | Odisha                                   |         293 |
| 20      | Punjab                                   |         285 |
| 21      | Rajasthan                                |         670 |
| 22      | Sikkim                                   |          19 |
| 23      | Tamil Nadu                               |        5878 |
| 24      | Telangana                                |        3657 |
| 25      | Tripura                                  |          20 |
| 26      | Uttar Pradesh                            |        1167 |
| 27      | Uttarakhand                              |         460 |
| 28      | West Bengal                              |        1128 |
| 29      | Andaman and Nicobar Islands              |          10 |
| 30      | Chandigarh                               |          56 |
| 31      | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |           1 |
| 32      | Delhi                                    |        3070 |
| 33      | Jammu and Kashmir                        |         201 |
| 34      | Ladakh                                   |           0 |
| 35      | Lakshadweep                              |           4 |
| 36      | Puducherry                               |          51 |
|         | Total                                    |       38475 |

Source: Directorate General of Civil Aviation