Building India's Drone Industry!
New Delhi, India
Joined September 2017
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Building a strong, self-reliant and globally competitive Indian drone ecosystem is a shared ambition.
By working together, we can strengthen its foundations, address emerging challenges and foster an ecosystem that is safe, trusted and built for innovation.
The next chapter of India’s drone story is ours to shape, together. 🇮🇳
#DroneEcosystem #DronePolicy #MakeInIndia #AtmanirbharBharat
DFI Statement on MCA Matters:
Drone Federation India ("DFI") is a Section 8, not-for-profit industry body working to support the government, industry and academia to build a safe, compliant and globally competitive Indian drone industry, including advocating for enforcement against unauthorised and non-compliant drones entering the Indian market.
DFI's directors are aware of recent reports concerning a Ministry of Corporate Affairs inspection and related complaint, and we wish to state as below:
The matters before the court, in Mumbai relate to certain procedural non-compliances by DFI under the Companies Act. DFI is addressing them through the appropriate processes both legal before the court and strengthening of its internal compliance mechanisms.
Separately, there has been an investigation by the authorities regarding the process to change to the name of DFI under the ROC records. With respect to this, certain document was filed by third parties not directly engaged by DFI which was later found to be forged. DFI or its directors had no knowledge of, and no role in, the creation or use of the forged document. DFI itself lodged a police complaint seeking action against those responsible.
DFI continues to cooperate fully with that investigation. DFI's work supporting Indian drone manufacturers continues without interruption. The directors remain committed to this mission, to high standards of governance, and to seeing this matter through to a fair and factual conclusion.
DFI thanks its members and partners for their continued trust and will keep them informed as matters progress.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors, Drone Federation India
Thousands of illegal, non-compliant drones plague Indian skies, despite having one of the world's most progressive UAV policy frameworks. Explore the policy recommendations compiled by Akarsh Srivastava from our Public Policy team to address this issue.
Through the Drone Rules 2021, Type Certification, Digital Sky, import restrictions on complete drones, and PLI schemes, India has built strong policy foundations for a genuine domestic drone industry.
Yet systemic violations and weak enforcement are undercutting compliant Indian OEMs and raising national security concerns. Thousands of photography and agriculture spraying drones are being sold in the open market, and several manufacturers continue to attempt to white-label Chinese products through regulatory loopholes, including the deliberate misclassification of commercial drones under HSN 9503 as "toys" to dodge HSN 8806 import restrictions, Type Certification, and registration.
The problem isn't a lack of regulation. It's a gap in enforcement. A strong policy framework only delivers results when it's enforced.
This paper examines the scale of the issue and the regulatory gaps enabling it, drawing on the Customs Act 1962, FTDR Act 1992, Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, and Drone Rules 2021. It finds that stakeholders already have the legal authority to act, and recommends action on two fronts, enforcement measures to close existing gaps and policy measures to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Read the full paper:
dronefederation.in/knowledge…
#DroneEcosystemIndia #DronePolicyIndia #DomesticManufacturing #IndigenousTechnology #MakeInIndia
Thousands of illegal, non-compliant drones plague Indian skies, despite having one of the world's most progressive UAV policy frameworks. Explore the policy recommendations compiled by Akarsh Srivastava from our Public Policy team to address this issue.
Through the Drone Rules 2021, Type Certification, Digital Sky, import restrictions on complete drones, and PLI schemes, India has built strong policy foundations for a genuine domestic drone industry.
Yet systemic violations and weak enforcement are undercutting compliant Indian OEMs and raising national security concerns. Thousands of photography and agriculture spraying drones are being sold in the open market, and several manufacturers continue to attempt to white-label Chinese products through regulatory loopholes, including the deliberate misclassification of commercial drones under HSN 9503 as "toys" to dodge HSN 8806 import restrictions, Type Certification, and registration.
The problem isn't a lack of regulation. It's a gap in enforcement. A strong policy framework only delivers results when it's enforced.
This paper examines the scale of the issue and the regulatory gaps enabling it, drawing on the Customs Act 1962, FTDR Act 1992, Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, and Drone Rules 2021. It finds that stakeholders already have the legal authority to act, and recommends action on two fronts, enforcement measures to close existing gaps and policy measures to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Read the full paper:
dronefederation.in/knowledge…
#DroneEcosystemIndia #DronePolicyIndia #DomesticManufacturing #IndigenousTechnology #MakeInIndia
Drone Federation India (DFI) retweeted
𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐅 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐔 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚
CISF and the Drone Federation India (DFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CISF Headquarters, New Delhi, to strengthen collaboration in drone technology, training, innovation and security applications.
The MoU will facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building and technological collaboration, further enhancing CISF’s preparedness to address emerging drone-related challenges and leverage unmanned aerial technologies for security applications.
#DroneTechnology #Drone #Innovation #NationFirst
@dronefed @CISFHQrs
Drone Federation India (DFI) retweeted
CISF Signs MoU with Drone Federation India
CISF and the Drone Federation India (DFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CISF Headquarters, New Delhi, to strengthen collaboration in drone technology, training, innovation and security applications.
The agreement was signed by Dr. C. D. Naik, DIG (Principal), MPRTC, Behror, on behalf of CISF and Shri Smit Shah, President, DFI in the presence of DG CISF, and other senior officers of CISF and DFI.
The MoU will facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building and technological collaboration, further enhancing CISF’s preparedness to address emerging drone-related challenges and leverage unmanned aerial technologies for security applications.
#DroneTechnology #Drone #Innovation #NationFirst
@MoCA_GoI
@dronefed
@GoI_MeitY
The AP Drone Industry CEO Round Table brought India’s drone ecosystem and government together for a focused conversation on the next phase of growth.
Hosted jointly by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Drone Federation India at Orvakal Drone City, the round table brought together 150+ companies across drones, counter-drones and critical components, alongside government, regulators, academia and research institutions.
The occasion was graced by Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK); Shri Puneet Kansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) ; Shri Bastipati Nagaraju (@NagarajuMPKnl), Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Kurnool; and Smt. Geetanjali Sharma, CEO, Andhra Pradesh Drones Corporation. Their presence made the round table a valuable platform for direct dialogue between policymakers and the industry.
#DroneIndustry #DroneCity #IndianInnovation #AtmanirbharBharat #MakeInIndia
The discussions addressed the key enablers for scale: BVLOS operations, certification, testing infrastructure, UTM, airspace access, government adoption and domestic component manufacturing.
The significance of the round table lies in bringing the ecosystem and policymakers together, face to face, to identify the challenges and shape the reforms needed to address them.
India has built the foundations. The next phase is about scaling with ambition, capability and global competitiveness.
🇮🇳 This Independence Day, we celebrate the freedom to imagine new possibilities, innovate with purpose, and build the technologies that will shape India's future.
From ideas taking flight to Indian drone technologies making an impact across sectors, the journey reflects a nation building with confidence and ambition.
Happy Independence Day!🇮🇳
#India80 #JaiHind #MakeInIndia #AtmanirbharBharat #DroneIndustry
Drone Federation India (DFI) retweeted
The conversation that we need to have in the Indian drone industry right now!
#drones
Drone Industry Brief by DFI.
Healthcare, wildlife conservation, counter-drone capabilities & more, today's key developments from across the drone ecosystem.
Read More: dronefederation.in/media-hub
#DroneIndustryUpdates #Wildlife #Healthcare #IndigenousTechnology #DroneInnovation
Drone Industry Brief by DFI!
From defence & indigenous innovation to the launch of NIDAR 2026-27, & more, here are today's key developments from across India's drone ecosystem!
Read more: dronefederation.in/media-hub
#NIDAR2026 #Defence #MakeInIndia #DroneIndustryNews #DroneAdoption
NIDAR 2026–27 is Officially Launched!
Today, Drone Federation India (DFI), in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), unveiled the second edition of India's largest student drone innovation challenge.
At today's Launch, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, @GoI_MeitY and Smit Shah, DFI, officially unveiled the next edition of NIDAR.
The launch also marked the release of:
- 3 new missions
- ₹65+ lakh prize pool
- Official Rulebook
- NIDAR 2026-27 Official Website
NIDAR 2026-27 is now officially live.
Explore the official website: nidar.org.in/
