Indian drone makers welcome govt's decision to ban import of drones

The decision will block cheaper Chinese products, encourage participation from large corporations

India’s blanket ban on the import of drones will encourage participation in the government-sponsored production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, say industry and government officials.

On Wednesday, the Direct­orate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce, banned import of drones, subject to some exceptions like research and security. While import of completely assembled drones has been banned, India has allowed import of drone components.

“This will push local drone-makers to participate in the PLI scheme by developing self-manufacturing capability,” said a government official involved in the process. “The country lost out in sectors like aircraft manufacturing despite having a large market.