The central government announced that the Civil Aviation ministry has passed the new Drone Rules 2021, replacing the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rules 2021.On July 15, the government revealed the new drone rules and invited suggestions from stakeholders and the industry till August 5.The stakeholders praised the new rules as they would simplify the process and decrease the agreement pressure to operate a drone in India.The declaration of new rules took place right after the government provided conditional approval to ten organisations comprising Bayer Crop Science, and Mahindra and Mahindra, Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to use drones for different purposes for one year.The need for reworking the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rules 2021 circulated four months ago after long discussions with stakeholders, likely showing the disappointment of the drone community with the previous rules that threatened to drown the drones with over-regulation.Jyotiraditya Scindia, Civil Aviation Minister, told the media that drone application in mining, infrastructure industry, logistics, defence, and more would provide job opportunities. He said they aim to make India a worldwide global drone hub by 2030.Moreover, Scindia added that currently, nearly 200 startups are a part of the drone ecosystem in India. He informed that there is a possibility of launching drone taxis in the country under the new drone policy.Under the Drone Rules 2021, the government has decreased the fee to operate a drone to low levels and de-linked the drone size.The drone coverage has also expanded from 300 kg to 500 kg, including heavy payload-carrying drones.Other significant characteristics of the new rules comprise the addition of drone corridors for cargo deliveries, including setting up an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Promotion Council to promote a business-friendly regulatory regime.Image SourceAlso read: Govt nods usage of drones for 10 firms for various purposes