Ownership of unregistered drones will invite penal action, the ministery said (Representational)

New Delhi:

The Civil Aviation Ministry started the registration process for non-compliant drones, which were not registered with the aviation regulator DGCA and have not been granted drone acknowledgement numbers (DANs), from June 8.

In a public notice issued on June 8, the ministry said a similar one-time opportunity for voluntary disclosure of such drones was provided between January 14 and January 31.

A total of 19,553 non-compliant drones were registered during this period, it said.

“Based on public request, another opportunity is being provided to persons in possession of drones to submit their required information to the government. The submission of requisite information will be through the online portal (https://digitalsky.dgca.gov.in), as earlier,” the ministry stated.

It stated that Ownership Acknowledgement Number (OAN) and Drone Acknowledgement Number (DAN) will be issued online when required information and documents are successfully submitted on the portal.

“Ownership of a drone in India without a valid DAN or OAN shall invite penal action as per applicable laws,” the notice said.

The ministry on June 5 had issued draft rules for manufacturing and use of drones in the country wherein it has proposed that an authorised drone manufacturer or importer can sell its devices only to an individual or entity approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The ministry will deliberate and issue the final rules once it receives comments from all the stakeholders on draft rules.