DFI has proposed that DGCA suspend approvals or debar applicants and common promoters who deliberately misdeclare the country of origin
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India’s drone industry has flagged the presence of more than 50,000 illegally imported or non-compliant photography and agricultural spraying drones being sold and operated across the country, while seeking stringent enforcement measures to address the issue.In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), which was reviewed by businessline, the Drone Federation India (DFI) said illegal imports and non-compliant drones were creating an uneven playing field for compliant Indian manufacturers as well as raising safety and security concerns.According to DFI, agricultural drones are being sold without type certification, registration, verified safety features and appropriate training.No RestrictionsIt flagged cases of drones carrying payloads exceeding 10 kg without the altitude and range restrictions applicable to certified drones.The industry body said illegal imports are being facilitated through misdeclaration, incorrect classification and fragmented imports of components across multiple consignments, followed by domestic assembly.Besides, DFI said commercial drones were being misclassified under HSN 9503 as toys to escape HSN 8806 import restrictions, type certification and registration requirements.Meanwhile, non-compliant drones were being sold through physical markets, e-commerce platforms and social media channels, it said.“The principal gap lies in enforcement rather than legislation,” DFI said.Consequently, the federation has proposed coordinated enforcement by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), with support from local law enforcement agencies, to identify large resellers of illegally imported cinematography and agricultural spraying drones, confiscate their goods, impose penalties and publicly disclose such action to deter other stakeholders.Indigenous ProductionFurther, DFI has proposed that DGCA suspend approvals or debar applicants and common promoters who deliberately misdeclare the country of origin of drone components during type certification.On the policy front, the industry body has proposed a minimum 50 per cent indigenous-content requirement for type certification, with the requirement increasing by 5–7 per cent annually.Furthermore, DFI has sought a ban on imports of non-critical components such as airframes and landing gear, and a 50 per cent increase in import duty on critical components, including avionics, navigation modules, flight controllers, communication modules, payloads, batteries, motors, propellers and electronic speed controllers.Additionally, the industry body has asked the Union government to remove the exemption that allows commercial drones to be declared as electric toys under HSN 9503 to escape HSN 8806 import restrictions.In addition, the federation said the measures would help strengthen indigenous manufacturing, ensure a level playing field for compliant domestic manufacturers and safeguard national security.Published on September 2, 2026
