Drone Policy

A pilot project that involves the use of drones to spray mist at pollution hotspots has not been approved over the high cost and lack of measurable results, an official has said. The technology was proposed as part of Delhi's 21-point Winter Action Plan to combat worsening air quality. Officials have deemed the project costly and ineffective, stating it has failed to deliver significant, measurable improvements. "The technology is extremely expensive and does not provide noticeable advancements compared to existing methods, which are already yielding better results at a fraction of the cost," an official involved in the evaluation told PTI. On November 8, a demonstration of the project was conducted at Anand Vihar, one of Delhi's most polluted areas. During the demonstration, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai highlighted challenges posed by hotspots, such as narrow roads or congested areas where traditional modes of transport, such as trucks, cannot reach. "Pollution levels in

Adani Defence and Aerospace has delivered a second Drishti-10 Starliner surveillance drone to the Indian Navy, boosting India's maritime forces' capabilities to monitor shipping lines and mitigate piracy risks. Following the handover of the first Drishti-10 to the Indian Navy earlier this year, the induction of the second unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), a version of the Israel's Hermes 900 medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, into naval maritime operations was initiated at Porbandar in Gujarat, sources aware of the matter said. Drishti 10 Starliner drone, manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace, a part of the conglomerate helmed by billionaire Gautam Adani, at its Hyderabad facility, is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours endurance and 450 kg payload capacity. The only all-weather military platform, with NATO's STANAG 4671 (standardized agreement 4671) certification for the UAV system's airworthiness, is cleared to fly in both .

Airbound will deploy its R&D efforts to initially focus on medical deliveries and then expand into other areas such as food and groceries

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday asked officials to ensure that the drone policy the state is drafting is the best in the country. The chief minister reviewed the policy for 2024-29 which entails the goals of the Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation over the next five years. "The drone policy being drafted by our state should be the best in the country. Ensure that Andhra Pradesh emerges as the best centre for the drone industry in the country," Naidu said in a statement. Offering attractive incentives, Naidu said drone manufacturers should be roped into the southern state to make investments. He called on the officials to develop Orvakal in Kurnool district as a drone manufacturing hub. The CM observed that drones should be used by government departments as much as possible, and called for the development of Amaravati as the drone capital of the country. Besides the drone policy, Naidu also gave directions for the Andhra Pradesh Data Centre Policy 4.0 ...

Fourteen more drones were downed over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, and several more were destroyed over the regions of Oryol and Tula, the governors of those regions said

Quality Council of India (QCI) has given provisional approval to National Test House (NTH), Ghaziabad, as a certification body for drones. NTH, Ghaziabad has been "provisionally approved by the Quality Council of India (QCI) as a certification body for type certification of drones", an official statement said on Tuesday. This is as part of the certification scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This significant milestone aligns with the Government of India's push towards fostering a robust and globally competitive drone ecosystem under the Drone Rules 2021. In line with this responsibility, a team of auditors from NTH will visit Vimaana Aerospace Technologies, Noida, from 11th to 12th September 2024 for conducting a Stage-2 (onsite) assessment. "The purpose of this audit is to evaluate their D1 application for Krishiraj 1.0, an agricultural drone model designed to meet the specific needs of the farming sector," the statement said. This assessment is a crucial step towards .

How to curb and counter China's influence and power through its biotech companies, drones and electric vehicles will dominate the US House's first week back from summer break, with lawmakers taking up a series of measures targeting Beijing. Washington views Beijing as its biggest geopolitical rival, and the legislation is touted as ensuring the US prevails in the competition. Many of the bills scheduled for a vote this week appear to have both Republican and Democratic support, reflecting strong consensus that congressional actions are needed to counter China. The legislation "will take meaningful steps to counter the military, economic and ideological threat of the Chinese Communist Party, said Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and a Michigan Republican. There's a bipartisan goal to win this competition. Advocacy groups worry about the impact, warning against rhetoric that hurts Asian Americans and could create "an atmosphere

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has rolled out a scheme under which around 200 city women will be trained to operate a drone and be given a drone pilot licence certificate, Raj Niwas said on Saturday. Under the 'Namo Drone Didi' scheme, a total of Rs 25,000 will be spent on each trainee and funds will be raised through Corporate Social Responsibility. The initiative is part of a national mission that aims to empower rural women across the country with drone technology. The trainees will also be given drones, which they will be allowed to use or rent out. The exercise started with drone demonstration events in the city's Singhola village on Friday and Badu Sarai village on Saturday. An NGO has been roped in to carry out the demonstrations, which are going to be conducted across the city's villages, officials said. According to the administration, once trained, these 'Drone Didis' with pilot licence certificates will find ample opportunities to find a job or become self employe

'PM Narendra Modi has launched the 'Drone Didi Scheme', so please train women to use drones for spraying fertilisers,' HM Shah said

Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday said the government will seek a report from the Jalna police regarding claims that Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's village was under drone surveillance. If needed, the activist's security will be upgraded, the minister said in the assembly while responding to the concerns raised by the Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar. Wadettiwar alleged that Jarange's Antarwali Sarati was under drone surveillance and the government must provide security to him. Raising the issue in the assembly, Waddetiwar claimed that the activist's life may be in danger. Antarwali Sarati has become the epicentre for protests for reservations for the Maratha community in government jobs and education. "Everyone has a right to protest, and if the village is under drone surveillance, it is not good. Villagers are scared," the Congress leader claimed. Desai said the government will seek a report from the Jalna superintendent of

The Indian Air Force will be the lead agency for the induction and acquisition of the Tapas drones into the defence forces, they said

Dhaksha is leveraging the 3D Experience platform, including its Simulia software applications, to design and develop a comprehensive range of UAS solutions

New Delhi-based tech start-up has transformed the concept of drone deliveries, with an impressive track record of two million successful deliveries

The government needs to expand the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and develop an ecosystem to realise the goal of making India a global drone hub, a report said on Tuesday. An incentive of Rs 120 crore spread over three financial years was provided for Indian manufacturers of drone and drone components under the PLI Scheme notified on September 30, 2021. As per the Ministry of Civil Aviation projections, the Indian drone manufacturing industry is expected to reach Rs 900 crore by 2025 from just Rs 60 crore in 2020-21, according to a study conducted by Nexgen Exhibitions. It also noted that the Indian drone market is expected to grow at 22.15 per cent CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) during the 2024-30 period. With innovation and expansion of its application portfolio, India has the potential of becoming the global drone hub by 2030, it stated. The study highlighted that the key to realising India's vision lies in boosting the domestic drone ecosystem. Other major fac

Coromandel will invest Rs 150 crore through a fresh issue of shares to increase its overall shareholding in Dhaksha to 58 per cent. Dhaksha, incorporated in 2019 and headquartered in Chennai

He said that according to preliminary information, there were no casualties, but the facades of some non-residential buildings were damaged

The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also decided to hold the Winter session of the state assembly from November 28.

From patrolling PM's house to spraying crops, multiple uses for these drones

Drones will help the farmers spray pesticides and monitor their fields, which will save cost and time