For the founders of Quidich, the months leading up to the Indian Premier League (IPL)—India’s big-budget domestic cricket tournament—in March 2019 were restless ones. The company, which specialises in drone-based sports broadcasting and filmmaking, was sweating on an exemption from the Indian government. More specifically, from the aviation regulator—the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)—and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), in order to operate its drones during IPL matches.
On a wing and a prayer
Inside the black box of India’s crashed drone industry
Heavy on vision, light on execution, an inside look at India’s pie-in-the-sky dreams of being a drone hub
The 2018 regulations that govern drone flying envisioned a one-stop digital shop for flight approvals
However, the government failed to set up the required platform in time to facilitate drone registration, flying permission and tracking
The regulation rendered almost all drone flying in India illegal. Chinese drone major DJI has decided to not comply with the rules
Having missed the hardware bus, India can still become a hub—in drone applications and analytics
