The Draft Civil Drone Bill, 2025: What Every Operator Needs to Know
India's Ministry of Civil Aviation released the Draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill, 2025 on September 16, 2025.
Here's a comprehensive brea...
India's Ministry of Civil Aviation released the Draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill, 2025 on September 16, 2025.
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of what it proposes — and what it means for the industry.
On September 16, 2025, the Ministry of Civil Aviation released the Draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill, 2025 for public consultation, with a comment deadline of September 30, 2025.
This Bill represents a fundamental shift in how India regulates drones — moving from subordinate rules under the Aircraft Act to a standalone, primary legislation with parliamentary authority.
Here's what operators, manufacturers, and stakeholders need to understand.
From Rules to Law: Why This Matters Currently, drone operations in India are governed by the Drone Rules, 2021, which were issued as subordinate legislation under the Aircraft Act, 1934 (now replaced by the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024).