India opens more of its sky for consumer drones, but most from China’s DJI don’t qualify

India’s NPNT, or “No Permission – No Take-off”, requirement demands that consumer drones get special firmware changes

DJI says it won’t offer the majority of its drones in India unless the government revises its Digital Sky system

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An employee shows the Mavic Pro 2 drone in a DJI store in Shanghai on May 22, 2019. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:35pm, 21 Aug 2020Updated: 9:19pm, 21 Aug 2020

DJI is the most popular drone brand in the world, with over 70 per cent of the market last year. But in India, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to fly drones made by the Chinese giant.

Starting this month, Indian authorities have opened more than two-thirds of the country’s land to consumer drones. This finally gives India’s drone enthusiasts a way to legally fly in a large swath of the country after an abrupt ban on consumer drones in 2014.

But not all drones are equal in the eyes of Indian authorities. Only those built to specific government requirements are allowed to apply for clearance, according to India’s first drone policy introduced in 2018.

To fly in the country, drones heavier than 250 grams need to have a piece of special software installed called NPNT (No Permission – No Take-off). It acts as a digital lock that bans a drone from taking off unless it has obtained prior permission through Digital Sky, an online platform. Every new flight requires a fresh green light. Applications need to be submitted hours ahead of time.

DJI wasn’t happy about the situation. In a statement last year, the company said it wouldn’t bring most of its drones to India unless the government changed the policy. Under the current rules, most of DJI’s drones would be subject to NPNT if the company sold them in India.

“The system slows down the pace of innovation and raises hardware costs as it requires all drone manufacturers, domestic and foreign, to have a separate product and firmware for India,” said Mitul Arora, DJI's policy lead in India, in an email on Thursday.

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