As a form of promoting locally made drones, India's Ministry of Trade and Industry announced it would ban the import of drones.
However, this prohibition does not apply to drone components nor to drones used for research, development, defense and security as long as they get approval from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
Thus this decision opens up the possibility for an Indian drone company that can add value by creating original designs using imported components.
Such imports could make it easier for local drone companies to manufacture competitive engines and realize the vision of India as a drone manufacturing and operating center by 2030.
India sees the drone market as a big part of its future including when it comes to shipping, helping farmers manage land or spraying crops, or using aerial photography and monitoring tools for a variety of applications.
Reporting us from The Register, the Indian drone maker is currently developing the country's first heavy lift drone - a machine capable of carrying up to 150kg of cargo for up to 150km.
Many roads in India are notoriously underdeveloped, so cargo drones can cut delivery times, make e-commerce more common and more accessible to rural areas.
In August, the government relaxed requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles – including reducing costs and removing security clearance requirements for having a drone license.
It then agreed to an incentive scheme for drones and components with an overall budget of 1.2 billion rupees (USD 16.3 million) over three years.
The country has also developed free drone airspace maps and in 2021 published drone regulations based on the premise of trust, self-certification and non-intrusive monitoring.