As a run-up in using drones for civilian as well as commercial purpose, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now asked the companies Zomato, Swiggy and Dunzo; medical delivery providers Zipline and Redwing, and large enterprises Tata Advanced Systems and Honeywell to submit their detailed plans.
A report from ET said that DGCA had already sought details from interested parties in conducting a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), drone experiments in May. This will be conducted on experimental basis.
According to the original plan, the approvals for the experiments were to receive in August. The companies will be given a time interval of 2 months to prepare and another two to conduct the experiments. Among 27 applicants, DGCA selected seven were selected for this purpose. They said that they are expecting the approvals on next month so they can start their services on January, next month.
Aim of the Companies
In order to deliver drugs, vaccines and blood packets to remote areas, Redwing and Zipline have partnered with the state governments of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. At the same time, food ordering and delivery platforms, Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo most likely will conduct experiment without actually delivering food because of the rules of Digital Sky in Metros.
According to a BIS research, the drone market in India is anticipated to be valued at $885.7 Mn by 2021 at the same time, global market will be at $21.47 Bn. Recognizing this huge market, many companies all over India, various state and central government bodies, have already announced their drone services during upcoming years. Under the Digital Sky rules the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) legalized flying commercial drones in September 2018. Following this, they also released new regulations in usage of drones in public spaces especially while using for commercial purposes.
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