India bans drone import

India bans drone import

Part of: Prelims and GS-III Economy; Science and technology 

Context: The Directorate General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry notified the Indian Trade Classification (Harmonised System), 2022 which brought the prohibition of drones for import into effect. 

Key takeaways 

• The move aims to promote made-in-India drones.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that while exceptions were provided for R&D, defence and security, importing drones for these purposes will require “due clearances”.
• However, import of drone components will not need any approvals.
• Last year, the Ministry notified liberalised drone rules with the aim to encourage R&D and to make India a drone hub.
• The government also approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and their components with an allocation of Rs. 120 crore for three financial years.

About Drones

• It is a layman terminology for Unmanned Aircraft (UA).
• Originally developed for the military and aerospace industries, drones have found their way into the mainstream because of the enhanced levels of safety and efficiency they bring.
• A drone’s autonomy level can range from remotely piloted (a human controls its movements) to advanced autonomy, which means that it relies on a system of sensors and LIDAR detectors to calculate its movement.

Application of Drone Technology

• Defence: Drone system can be used as a symmetric weapon against terrorist attacks.
• Healthcare Delivery Purposes
• Agriculture: Micronutrients can be spread with the help of drones
• Monitoring: The drone technology in the SVAMITVA scheme  has helped about half a million village residents to get their property cards by mapping out the abadi areas.
• Law Enforcement

News Source: TH