According to a report by The Print, India’s Drone Market could become a multi-billion dollar industry in the next decade as found in research conducted by an advisory firm Business Research Institute (BIS). This fact also received confirmation from the All India Council For Robotics & Automation (AICRA). According to Global Market Intelligence combined with BIS Research, the global drone market is currently dominated by the US, China, and Israel. It is expected to touch $28.47 billion in the year 2021. As forecasted, it is estimated that the drone market will grow at a CAGR of 8.45% for the decade of 2019-2029. Asia-Pacific including India is expected to showcase the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Drones have become pervasive as we have seen how quickly drone technology is developing and taking space in all the industries with its widespread applications in various domains. Multi-application drones have been developed for use in security services, defense, emergency response, and disaster management, healthcare, urban planning, media and entertainment, agriculture, business and e-commerce, environmental management, recreation, and the toy industry.
Indian share in the global drone market comprises about 4.25 percent. India is the third-largest importer of drones (military grade) with a 6.8 percent share of the total UAV (unmanned aerial value) transfers or deliveries reported across the globe in 2020. According to AICRA, India’s drone and counter-drone market potentially will rise to $40 Billion by 2030. In fact, according to BIS Research, the Indian drone market is expected to reach $1.21 billion in 2021. In India, drones are becoming ubiquitous rapidly. Drones are getting deployed for surveillance of village properties as per the SWAMITVA scheme of India. The government of India has installed various drone security systems in Jammu Defence Airbase. India had brought National Counter Rogue Drones Guidelines 2019 and later Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2020. The Government of India has taken several good steps towards legalizing and regulating the civil use of drones since 2018. Organization of international level Robotics Competitions for children and youth of India like the World Robotics Championship in which drones can be seen battling with each other in WRC quadcopter is also happening via the help of All India Council for Robotics and Automation (AICRA). Schools and Colleges have also started participating in them.
Now, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the updated “The Drone Rules, 2021” for public consultation. The government has asked for Public comments on the rules till the 5th of August. Drone Promotion Council is also expected to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime. A lot has been done but still many steps need to be taken yet. We need legal backing for our drone system in India. Taking into consideration the civilian security threats, certain measures need to be taken in that domain. We need betterment in the counter-drone capability of our country. Drone training institutes need to be set up for the youth to learn and be future-ready. Make in India UAVs are also in process. Indeed, India is about to see the biggest rise in the drone market.