Drones:
The Government banned the import of drones with immediate effect, except for research and development, defence and security purposes.
- The move aims to promote made-in-India drones, a statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry notified the Indian Trade Classification (Harmonised System), 2022 effecting the prohibition of drones for import.
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that while exceptions were provided for R&D, defence and security, importing drones for these purposes will require “due clearances”. However, import of drone components will not need any approvals.
- Last year, the Ministry notified liberalised drone rules with the aim to encourage R&D and to make India a drone hub.
- The government also approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and their components with an allocation of ₹120 crore for three financial years.
