Government proposes stricter drone usage rules with provisions for fines & jail

NEW DELHI: The govt plans to make stricter rules for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones in India with provisions for fines upto Rs 1 Lakh and imprisonment upto six months. The Union aviation ministry has issued draft Civil Drone (Promotion & Regulation) Bill, 2025, and sought public comments on the same till Sept 30, 2025.

“Whoever wilfully disobeys any (provisions shall be) be punishable with a fine up to Rs. 50,000/- or an imprisonment which may extend to three months or both, and for any second or subsequent offence with a fine up to Rs 1 lakh or an imprisonment which may extend to six months or both,” the draft says.

The draft proposes that “no person shall own or operate an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) unless it has been registered and issued with an UIN in a manner specified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. No UAS shall be sold or purchased or transferred, whether in offline mode or through online mode, unless it is registered and has been issued with an UIN; and the procedure for transfer including transfer by way of sale and de-registration of unmanned aircraft systems shall be as prescribed by the Central govt,” it adds.

However, the Drone Federation of India (DFI) says this draft puts the “the hard-fought liberalisation and reforms introduced under the Drone Rules, 2021” at the “risk of being rolled back”. The “August 2021 (rules were) a landmark reform and a catalyst for making India a global drone hub… had significantly simplified compliance requirements, decriminalised most offences, and focused on promoting innovation and growth. The new bill, however, seems to re-introduce several of the very compliance burdens that were removed just four years ago. Offences that had been made civil in nature are once again being criminalised, with provisions for imprisonment of up to three years. The draft also gives police the power to confiscate drones on mere suspicion, with detention periods extendable by court order. Together, these measures risk creating an atmosphere of fear for legitimate operators and innovators, while doing little to address the problem of non-compliance by rogue operators,” DFI said in a statement.

“Equally concerning is the absence of meaningful enforcement on existing violations. Today, unregistered Chinese drones continue to be imported and flown without applying for type certificates, and uncertified agricultural drones are openly sold and operated without any deterrent action by authorities. The focus of the Bill on punitive provisions, without first plugging these enforcement gaps through customs controls and DGCA oversight, risks penalising compliant players while letting real violators slip through,” DFI adds.

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