India has imposed an import ban on drones with immediate effect. The ban, which was notified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday, prohibits the import of drones in all forms – Completely Built-Up (CBU), Completely Knocked Down (CKD), and Semi Knocked Down (SKD).
However, certain exceptions are being granted for defense, security, and research and development (R&D) purposes. These sectors would still be able to import foreign-made drones, but only with “due clearances.” In the meantime, the import of drone components is being allowed without any sort of approval.
This ban on importing foreign drones is the latest attempt by the Indian government to provide a boost to the nascent domestic drone industry.
In the last few months, the country has introduced a series of policy reforms to give more impetus to indigenous drone manufacturers, and has even expressed a vision to become a “global drone hub by 2030.” While it’s not immediately…
