New Delhi: As per regulations for use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) released by the civil aviation ministry, Individuals and companies will be able to fly drones from December 1, 2018, in areas other than those barred for security reasons.

Operators will be able to apply for permissions and get instant approvals through a portal (Digital Sky Platform) for the use of drones for photography and recreational purposes. The commercial use of drones — as taxis, delivery vehicles, or other services — will not be allowed as of now but a ministry officials said it was open to making changes in the regulations as technology advances.

“We want to establish a world-leading drone ecosystem. These regulations firmly place us among the global leaders. Our policy road map will provide strong impetus to all players in the drone ecosystem. We hope that these initiatives will enable us to create a vibrant new industry,” minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha said.

The regulations state that no permissions will be needed for flying ‘nano’ drones, which weigh less than 250gm, within the visual range. But operators have been advised to inform the local police beforehand and to not breach the privacy of any individual.

According to the ministry, the Digital Sky Platform will be the first-of-its-kind national unmanned traffic management (UTM) portal to implement a ‘no permission, no take-off’ (NPNT) policy.

“Users will be required to do a one-time registration of drones, pilots and owners. For every flight (except nano drones), users will be required to ask for permission to fly through a mobile app, and an automated process will permit or deny the request instantly. The UTM operates as a traffic regulator in the drone airspace and coordinates closely with the defence and civilian air traffic controllers (ATCs) to ensure that drones remain on the approved flight paths,” a ministry official said.