Regulations for use of drone technology soon: Jayant Sinha

The government today said it would soon come out with a set of norms for implementation of drone technology and favoured an ‘international drone alliance' with the active support of France for tapping its diverse use.

The regulations would be unveiled after extensive consultations with the security agencies, the manufacturers, the global regulators and innovators, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said at an event today.

The minister's remarks came in the wake the Government last week setting up a 13-member task force under Sinha's chairmanship to prepare a roadmap and recommendations for the central and  state governments, besides the industry and research institutions for rollout of the technology.

"We are shortly issuing a set of regulation after extensive consultations with security agencies, the manufacturers, global regulators and innovators,” the minister said at the Indo-French Defence and Aerospace Cooperation meet here organised by CII.

“Why don't India and France take up the leadership as far as drones are concerned where standards, technology, control parameters has to be harmonised and perhaps create international drone alliance where we can come together and figure out how the standards can be harmonised,” he suggested.

A battery of leaders from the defence and aerospace industries of both India and France attended the event. French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler was also present.

The alliance, the minister said, can be worked out much on the lines of the successful international solar alliance pioneered by India.

Seeking active French support for the flourishing civil aviation sector in the country, Sinha said India can be a production platform for French manufacturers, who can reap from the unique requirements of the country like the development of growing demands of turboprop aircraft for the regional connectivity programme.

He said the potential of the collaboration and business linkages between the two countries is extraordinary and foresaw a time when the joint collaborations could see the development of ‘air rickshaws' in India, reducing the travel time between Delhi to Gurugram to just 30 minutes.

The minister also stressed upon the French side to have a perspective plan for India going beyond 50 years in keeping with the country's fast pace development and “indianisation” of operations to succeed in Indian market as well as become a global player.

The aviation sector, he said is growing at a rate of 20 per cent and over 900 planes would be added to the Indian sky in the next 10 years from 550 aircraft at present. One billion trips per annum is also the target of the government with supporting infrastructure and hence the opportunities in the airport ecosystem in immense, he said.