This article is written by Vasu Manchanda and Kshitij Dahiya, students of Faculty of Law, Delhi University.

 

“Drones overall will be more impactful than I think people recognize, in positive ways to help the society”

-Bill Gates

Introduction

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease has brought the whole world to a standstill. With production activities halted for more than a month, the Indian economy which was already bruised is shrinking further. To combat the same and recession that will follow, unconventional and unprecedented solutions are required. While the government is planning to re-initiate production activities at some less-affected areas, it is pertinent to note that the same might not achieve the intended purpose unless a safe and foolproof supply chain and delivery mechanism is adopted. Where on one hand, aviation, hospitality, tourism, real estate, and non-essential goods’ industries have taken a huge toll; essential goods’ industries such as medicines, household food-items, oils, toiletries, etc have thrived.

Though amid lockdown, there is still demand for non-essential items such as smartphones, laptops, books, etc, however, there is no effective and safe mechanism to deliver the same to the consumers. In such a situation, the use of technology becomes imperative. Technological advancements are changing the way human beings interact virtually and physically. The emergence of drones, also known as Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (“RPAS”), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (“UAVs”), or Unmanned Aircraft System (“UAS”), reflect this change most aptly. A drone can be defined as an aircraft along with its associated elements, which is operated with no pilot on board. 

It can be used to deliver light-weighted non-essential goods available at global and home-grown e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall. Before the idea is considered laughable, it is pertinent to mention that drones are already being deployed in the following sectors amid lockdown: 

• The Noida Authority and Municipal corporations in Delhi are using it to spray disinfectants over closed- markets, buildings, slums, and sealed hotspots;
• Telangana, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, and Mumbai police are using it to monitor people’s movement amid lockdown and track the violators;
• Ghaziabad’s Police Authority is deploying it to monitor ‘Red Zones’ amid lockdown; 
• though illegal, suppliers used it to deliver ‘Pan Masala’ to a person in Gujarat; and
• IIT-Kanpur’s manufactured night vision drones are used to monitor hotspots in Uttar Pradesh. 

If the usage of drones for law enforcement and civilian purposes had been legalized years before the world accepted it as a boon for mankind, they could have been used and have played an important role during the time of floods in major parts of India, unlike helicopters which have no option to land in flood-hit areas and throw food and other supplies to the villagers while flying at a lower altitude, often missing the target. Drones could have been more precise and useful at such times of need. Further, if their usage had been made more acceptable, today, in times of present coronavirus pandemic, a lot of problems regarding the supply of essentialities and their delivery at doorsteps would have been possible, defeating the scare of the public at large getting affected. 

What are drones?

Drones are aerial vehicles or flying robots that do not carry a human operator. They can fly thousands of kilometers remotely and autonomously. They are designed to carry lethal or non-lethal payloads and can reach inaccessible areas at low costs. Advances in navigation, power storage systems, and remote control capabilities, have made possible the evolution of a wide range of drones that can be deployed in various situations where the presence of humans is difficult, dangerous, or impossible. 

Deploying flying robots for military surveillance, planetary exploration, and search-and-rescue operations is not a new concept; however, the use of drones to deliver non-essential goods on the terraces of households, i.e., commercial use of drones is yet to be legalized in India. 

The need to allow the use of drones

The need to allow the commercial use of drones to air-deliver non-essential goods arises from the recent development that took place amid COVID-19 pandemic:

• Food delivery service Zomato’s delivery guy tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of which seventy-two houses where he delivered essential commodities were quarantined and operations at the place where he was working were seized by the authorities;
• Amazon US delivery guy spat on a package before delivering it at the doorstep amid the COVID-19 outbreak;
• A delivery boy spat on Manipuri woman who was receiving essential goods being distributed by the police in Mumbai; 
• An operations manager died of COVID-19 in Amazon’s warehouse in the US; and
• Lack of safe and hygienic working conditions for employees working in warehouses and logistics departments raises a serious question of concern whether receiving essential goods by delivery is safe indeed. 

Drones can facilitate the revival of some economy activities hampered due to the nation-wide lockdown in the following manner:

• By leveraging aerial logistics to deliver essential and non-essential goods depending upon the weight of the article in question and the ability of drones to carry such weight;
• Reduced human contact in the transmission of goods from one place to another, thereby reducing the chances of infection; and
• New areas of employment such as manufacturing and servicing of drones.

Application of drones in different industries

Presently drones are being deployed only by law and enforcement agencies and not for commercial purposes. However, to tackle the pandemic, it is pertinent to deploy drones in the following industries to combat the health hazards associated with the laborers and give a boost to the shrinking economy by re-initiating some economic activities. The industries that can be benefitted from the use of drones are as follows:

E-commerce

The government must resort to Aerial Logistics to counter the crisis of COVID-19. Considering how dependent a human being is on his smartphone, laptop, or musical instruments for recreational or professional purposes, it can be hard for some people to survive the lockdown without the above-mentioned articles. They won’t mind spending some extra amount to avail such goods if allowed to do so. For example, a person might not hesitate to pay double the amount for a smartphone costing Rs. 10,000 at such time to get it air-delivered at his rooftop. Similarly, a musician might be ecstatic at the thought of receiving a music mixer or some instrument to be able to make and upload new music on social media sites for his fans and generate revenue from the same. 

As for monitoring the lockdown, drones are well-equipped with thermal imaging payloads, surveillance cameras, and sky speakers (to make announcements). Similarly, drones deployed by e-commerce companies can be equipped with proper hardware like camera, rope, hook, etc. subject to the regulations enacted by the government. Initially, goods stored in warehouses or with local retailers can be offered for sale at e-commerce platforms till further manufacturing is suspended. It is pertinent to note that one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies Amazon obtained permission to test air-delivery by drones in the USA in April 2015 and the UK in July 2016. Thenceforth, Amazon did its first aerial-delivery in December 2016 in the UK in the university town of Cambridge. Also, Google spin-off Wing delivered toilet paper, coffee, and cookies to the residents of Christiansburg, USA amid the ongoing lockdown.

In India also there have been some developments on the use of drones for commercial purposes:

• Reliance Industries acquired a controlling stake in a drone technology firm Asteria Aerospace in 2019.
• Food delivery company Zomato acquired drone startup TechEagle in 2018 and tested it for food delivery services via drones in June 2019.

Medicinal purpose

Telecommunication drones can be used for preoperative evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and telemedicine in remote areas. They have the potential to be dependable medical delivery platforms for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, emergency medical equipment, microbiological and laboratory samples. Also, in non-coronavirus disease-related emergencies (accidents, chronic disease, etc) lifesaving human-organs such as heart, blood, etc. can be transported via drones in no time. 

Transporting vital equipment and medicines from one place to another, especially Beyond Visual Line of Sight (“BVLOS”) is not always a straightforward process, especially in harsh environments with poor railway and road infrastructure. Consequently, drones should be deployed to help fasten the delivery process.

Drones can be pre-designed with set flight routes to selected hospitals. Such flight routes would be the ones with a clear aerial passage with the least possibility of disruptions from human and natural constraints such as towers and large trees. They can be programmed to always deposit their deliveries at the pre-decided spot so clinicians can find them without any hassle. A paper parachute can assist it to drop articles to the ground gently, and the products inside can be transfused into the patient. 

San Francisco-based start-up Zipline has developed a delivery-drone, which is being utilized by hospitals across Rwanda and Ghana to supply emergency blood products. It can deliver blood, plasma, and platelets in just a matter of minutes. All that clinicians need to do is make a phone call, send an email, text, or WhatsApp message to Zipline Headquarters requesting them to deliver the required drugs at a pre-decided spot.Such technology can be leveraged in this time of crisis given that platelet therapy is showing positive results.

Areas with poor infrastructure can use such a system to their advantage. Given the current crisis, such drone technology can be used in far-flung areas such as the North- East, Jammu and Kashmir and districts with poor accessibility. The government must constitute a committee to inquire into the applicability of drones to counter the crisis and use it to counter economic and social disparity.

Broadcast Media

Journalists being at the forefront reporting on developments of coronavirus and other issues of national and regional interests can rather use drones to mitigate the risk of being affected by the virus themselves. Already, over fifty journalists have been tested positive for the virus in India and are under isolation. And, these are just the reported cases. Drones with a camera mounted on it can be used for capturing photos and videos of the latest happening around the country and the same can be reported by the news reporters in an apposite, efficient, and secure manner from their homes or studios without being physically present at the site. 

Sports Industry

International and domestic sporting events such as Wimbledon, ICC t20 World Cup, Indian Premier League (IPL), Olympics, etc have either been postponed or abandoned in the wake of current calamity. There will be a huge monetary loss to the organizers because of this. Billions of dollars are at stake all over the world. For example, All England Club had taken pandemic’s insurance following the SARS outbreak for which it had been paying a premium for almost the past two decades. Consequently, they will be receiving Rs. 1079 crores for cancellation of Wimbledon because of the Coronavirus pandemic. But, not many organizers had the foresight to take such insurance and would thus face the consequences. Considering how big an industry sport is, it is imperative to look for ways to resume it at the earliest by keeping the players, support staff, and spectators safe. One possible solution is to allow hosting of domestic tournaments, a few weeks down the line, after conducting adequate medical tests of players and support staff and properly sanitizing indoor stadiums and grounds.

Also, instead of commentators, interviewers, and cameramen, drones can be deployed to capture the game from different angles, allowing the commentators to do commentary remotely. Further, spectators should not be permitted on the stands as before. This would not only minimize human contact but would also help telecast the live games on TV channels/ Over the Top (OTT) platforms without much human intervention. Digital subscription and novel means of advertising would help organizers recover the lost revenue due to a lack of spectators on the stands. For example, Rafael Nadal has proposed to host tennis competitions at his academy amid lockdown. According to the proposal, players can train, reside, and compete amongst themselves in matches that can be televised live.

Something similar can also be done at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium or other stadiums that were used during the CommonWealth Games in India.

Regulation of drones in India

History 

In 1849, Austria used unmanned flying objects, today known as drones, for the first time to drop bombs on their arch war rival – Venice. All over the world, drones were initially used in war zone areas for primarily military operations. Soon they began to be deployed for rescue operations, conducting surveillance, gathering precise spatial data, crowd management, agriculture, crop protection, journalism, and delivering goods. On October 7, 2014, following the use of drones for the first time in Mumbai (India) by a pizzeria to air-drop pizzas in close vicinity, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (“DCGA”) imposed a blanket ban of their use citing reasons such as safety threat, terrorism, air collision, etc. Subsequently, two draft guidelines were released by the DCGA in April 2016 and November 2017 to regulate the operation of drones. However, both were severely criticized by the stakeholders for being cumbersome, inefficient, and lacking foresight and were, thus, not adopted.

Thereafter, after understanding the flaws and lost opportunities associated with the blanket ban, the Government came up with a regulatory policy called Drone Regulations 1.0 on August 7, 2018, effective from December 1, 2018, to legalize and regulate the operation of drones for civil use in India.

Analysis of Drone Regulations 1.0

According to this policy, drones are categorized based on their weight of battery and cargo. The classes of weight are as follows:

Category	Weight
Nano	Less than or equal to 250 g
Micro	Greater than 250g and less than or equal to 2 kg
Small	Greater than 2kg and less than or equal to 25 kg
Medium	Greater than 25 kg and less than or equal to 150 kg
Large	Greater than 150 kg

Rigorous compliances need to be abided before piloting a drone into the Indian airspace. The government formed a national Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system called the Digital Sky Platform to enable the operations of drones. It is an Information Technology platform developed for handling Unique Identification Number (“UIN”) and Unmanned Aircraft Operators permits. Drone operations are based on “No Permission, No Takeoff” (“NPNT”) clause which means that unless regulatory permission is granted through the Digital Sky Platform, drones cannot enter into the airspace. Further, it has divided India’s airspace into three categories, viz, Red Zone (no-fly zone) which includes airspace near international borders, airports and other strategic areas; Yellow Zone (restricted zone) that requires permissions such as Air Defence Clearance, Flight Information Centre number from Air Traffic Control before flying; and Green Zone (unrestricted zone) which, nevertheless, requires permission from the platform.

Operational/Procedural Requirements

The policy lays down the following procedural requirements that drone operators need to comply with:

1. All RPAS except nano and those owned by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Aviation Research Centre (ARC), and Central Intelligence Agencies are to be registered and issued with UIN. 
2. Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) shall be required for RPA operators except for nano RPAS operating below 50 feet, micro RPAS operating below 200 feet, and those owned by NTRO, ARC and Central Intelligence Agencies. 
3. The mandatory equipment required for the operation of RPAS except nano category is (a) Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS), (b) Return-To-Home (RTH), (c) Anti-collision light, (d) ID-Plate, (e) Flight controller with flight data logging capability, and (f) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and SIM/NPNT. Currently, RPAs can operate within Visual Line of Sight (“VLOS”), during day time only, and up to a maximum 400 feet altitude.
4. For flying in controlled Airspace, filing of a flight plan and obtaining Air Defence Clearance (ADC) /Flight Information Centre (FIC) number shall be necessary.
5. Minimum manufacturing standards and training requirements of Remote Pilots of small and above categories of RPAS have been specified in the regulation.
6. A Pilot needs to be at least 18 years of age and should be duly certified. 
7. He/She needs to undergo a rigorous training before being issued a Remote Pilot License or an Unmanned Aerial Operator permit required for flying. 

It is pertinent to mention that even after possessing all the licenses and certifications, the Digital Sky Platform can still deny a drone authorization to fly at any given time with respect to the NPNT rule.

No Drone Zones

The regulation has identified “No Drone Zones” around airports, State Secretariat Complex in State Capitals, near the international border, strategic locations, military installations, and Vijay Chowk in Delhi. 

Enforcement Actions

In violation of the above-mentioned requirements, actions that can be taken by enforcement agencies are- (a) suspension/ cancellation of UIN/ UAOP in case of violation of regulatory provisions, (b) actions as per relevant sections of the Aircraft Act 1934, Aircraft Rules, or any statutory provisions, and (c) penalties applicable as per sections 287 (negligent conduct concerning machinery), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others), and 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). Other than these any other relevant section of IPC is applicable.

Drawbacks of Drone Regulations 1.0 policy

The policy has the following drawbacks that made the widespread acceptance and reliance of drones cumbersome:

• The framework of the Digital Sky Platform is complex and comprehensive.
• In the absence of labs to test the hardware and software capacities of drones, regulators find it hard to enact a system to regulate the usage of drones. 
• Manufacturers and users of drones aren’t much aware of the Digital Sky Platform.
• There is no backing of the drone industry by the government as in China. 
• Due to the Digital Sky Platform not yet being operational, operators can’t seek authorization from it before flying drones and thus are refused permission when sought from the police. 
• The global manufacturers will have to alter the manufacturing process to make hardware-level changes to be compliant with the NPNT technology. This rather seems unlikely as the Indian market is not yet developed for global manufacturers to make such changes in the manufacturing process. 
• The policy does not provide a mechanism to check whether drone operators are abiding by the set norms such as privacy of legal entities, and what actions the government can take in case of policy violations. Also, there is not much clarity on the norms in the first place. 
• There is no mechanism provided for drone operators to collect, store, share, and use data.
• The policy does not take into consideration rapid advancements in artificial intelligence that has the potential to boost the application of drones.
• Rules are too stringent for commercial use of drones. They can be deployed but within the line of sight of the person operating it. This makes it tough for e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Flipkart to deploy it.

Subsequent Developments

To tap the use of drones for commercial purposes and overcome the drawbacks of the Drone Regulation 1.0 policy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation formed a drone task-force that gave its recommendations and released the Drone Ecosystem Policy Roadmap known as Drone Policy 2.0 on January 15, 2019. The policy aims to establish a fully-operational drone ecosystem that would permit the use of drones for commercial purposes. The scope of operational airspace has been extended by allowing the drones to fly BVLOS and above the set level of 400 feet. Further, it proposes to establish a Drone Corridor, separate airspace, to segregate commercial drone operations from military or civilian airspace where manned aircraft operate. To achieve the same, a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system is proposed that would be responsible for managing drone induced traffic in the Indian airspace. Also, the use of algorithms for piloting a drone is permitted over the earlier mandatory human remote pilot requirement. However, such autonomous drones can be used only after the manufacturer exhibits the inclusion of privacy, security, and safety concerns in the programming and intrinsic design of drones itself.

New stakeholders called Digital Sky Service Providers (DSPs) have also been introduced. Their purpose is to supply services to drone operators over the Digital Sky Platform. Furthermore, the policy also envisages the creation of designated areas, called the drone ports to facilitate take-off and landing of drones. The government has also allowed 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route to provide the much-needed support to the Indian drone market. Thus, while the Drone Regulations 1.0 policy only permitted hobbyists and recreational flyers to fly drones in the Indian airspace, Drone policy 2.0 envisages enhanced operations such as commercial usage of drones, flying BVLOS, and autonomous drone operations.

Thereafter, on May 13, 2019, the DCGA invited potential companies to conduct experimental BVLOS operations of drones in the airspace. From the delivery of medical supplies to delivery of consumer products, various global and home-grown companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, Honeywell, Tata Advanced Systems, etc applied to conduct the above-mentioned experimental operation for the development of further regulations on the Indian drone industry. Furthermore, in the same year, National Counter Rogue Drone Guidelines were also issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to cater to various legal and national security threats persisting due to unregulated and unauthorized use of drones. The scope of the guidelines extended to assessing the drone threats; understanding the multi-dimensionality of such threats; and further, handling of the identified threats. 

On January 6, 2020, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) launched a No Objection Certificate (“NOC”) web portal to reduce the time taken for issuance of NOC and ensure quick disposal of applications filed by various vendors engaged by public sector undertakings, state governments or autonomous bodies to conduct aerial and remote sensing surveys. Thenceforth, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a public notice dated January 13, 2020, giving a one-time opportunity to persons in possession of unregulated drones being operated in Indian airspace without complying with the existing Drone Regulations to voluntarily disclose the required details through an online portal before January 31, 2020.

All these above-mentioned initiatives by the government are directed towards developing a suitable eco-system of drone-based businesses and would promote the use of drones for commercial purposes. 

International Perspective

Commercial use of drones is legal in a lot of countries around the world. Laws and rules adopted by various countries to regulate the operation of drones are as follows:

United States of America (USA)

The Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) is responsible for the regulation of drones in the USA. There are primarily three categories of drone operations permitted by the FAA, namely- hobbyist operations, commercial operations, and public aircraft operations. Each category has a different set of regulations. 

Commercial operations are regulated by 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 107. Some conditions mentioned under it that need to be complied with are as follows:

• Drones must not weigh more than 55lb.
• They need to remain within VLOS of the Remote Pilot in Command (“PIC”).
• PIC needs to have a remote pilot certificate and conduct a pre-flight inspection.
• Drones are not to fly directly above the individual not participating in the operation, inside a covered stationary vehicle, and/or under a covered structure.
• They are to fly during daylight or civil twilight only. 
• Ground speed should not be more than 100 mph.
• Maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level. 
• Drones are not to indulge in reckless operations or carry hazardous materials.

A PIC under Part 107 needs to obtain a remote pilot certificate to fly a drone for commercial purposes. However, to obtain a certificate he needs to be at least 16 years of age; he must be able to read, understand, write and speak the English language; pass an initial aeronautical written exam; pass Transportation Security Administration background security screening and be in a fit medical and physical condition. 

Further, many states and municipalities in the USA have restrictions on the use of drones. FAA is also planning the integration of drones into the National Airspace System. And, recently they also launched the “B4UFLY” mobile application for users to determine whether there are any restrictions or requirements in effect in an area where they wish to fly a drone for commercial or recreational purposes.

Canada

According to Transport Canada Civil Aviation, operating drones are legal in Canada. The Transport Canada regulates drones used by the states and people for policing and recreational purposes, respectively. Further, a separate commercial drone pilot certification (Special Flight Operations Certificate) is required by operators before using drones for commercial purposes. It is initially issued only for specific missions with a limited flight plan but is subject to extension to larger geographical areas depending upon the track record of successful flights by the operators.

Rwanda

The Civil Aviation Authority of Rwanda is the regulatory body for all UAVs in the country. All drones are required to be registered and have to be marked by a number assigned by the authority.

All drones are required to have insurance. Separate drone activity permits and operator permits are required for commercial use. Rwanda is the first country in the world to have a national scale drone delivery mechanism, bringing blood and medicinal products to rural clinics. In 2017, it became the first country in the world to design and adopt a framework of performance-based regulations for all classes of drones. In January 2018, the Rwandan cabinet set a new standard for accountable, open, and risk-based access to airspace that can facilitate any type of drone operation in any location while maintaining safety. The regulatory framework has enabled businesses to establish themselves for infrastructure inspections, agricultural, pest spraying, surveying of crops, and land titling.

China

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (“CAAC”) is the governing body for all UAV operations in the country. Any drone weighing over 116 Kilograms requires a UAV certification and pilot’s license for operation. Flying drones only within VLOS is allowed.

According to the 2019 regulations, 400ft is the maximum altitude permitted for undertaking operations. For drones operating higher than the limit would qualify as commercial operations which are allowed subject to approval from CAAC. Additionally, drone operators are obligated to cover their liability for third parties on the ground through insurance.

United Kingdom (UK)

The Civil Aviation Authority (“CAA”) of the UK regulates operations of drones in the country. Air Navigation laws primarily consisting of legislations like the Civil Aviation Act, 1982 and Air Navigation Order, 2009 apply to the use of drones both for recreational or commercial purposes. Breach of the same is considered a criminal offense enforceable by the CAA. The act intends to ensure the safety of individuals around whom drones may operate. Further, privacy, intellectual property, data protection, insurance, and torts laws apply to drones equipped with a camera.

Singapore 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore regulates the operations of drones in the country. However, drones can be used for commercial purposes only by seeking prior approval from the authority and are allowed to fly only within VLOS.

Suggestions and way forward

Various recommendations to legalize the commercial use of drone amid coronavirus pandemic are as follows: 

• • The use of drones for capturing unauthorized photographs or facial recognition should be prohibited and heavily penalized.
  • The use of drones should at least be promoted for aerial mapping, traffic control, security, disaster management, agriculture, and logistics in times of such pandemic. 
  • A more comprehensive mechanism for alerting the concerned authorities in time of emergency, approving license applications, and renewing permits are required.
  • Certain designated safe areas should be identified by the operator for emergency landing or operation termination.
  • There need to be stricter rules for surveillance.
  • Drones should not transport any hazardous material such as batteries, power banks, etc. Standard Operating Procedure for safe transportation of sensitive materials like batteries, power banks, etc should be prescribed for. 
  • They should not be flown in a manner that causes danger to any person, animal, bird, or property.
  • Take off and landing spots need to be segregated from crowded areas or public access, hence establishing drone ports as suggested in the drone policy 2.0. 
  • The government must open the doors to all companies seeking to commence operations using drones but since it would be impossible for all to obtain drones, the government can give large scale retailers like big bazaar and e-commerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart the status of Drone Delivery Partners, who would act as middlemen and help in the shipment of all articles. Only those companies should be selected which can implement the technical knowhow and follow the provisions of the drone regulation strictly.
  • Operators should conduct a safety risk assessment and pre-flight inspection before every flight. 
  • Storage, acquisition, and processing of data by the operator of camera-equipped drones should come under the ambit of Data Protection Bill, 2019. 
  • Intellectual property, media, torts, insurance, liability, trade, and e-commerce laws should apply to commercial operations of drones. 
  • Rival drone manufacturers or deployer in pandemic like situations should be granted some leniency from the stringent provisions of the Competition Act, 2002. 
  • To promote commercial operations amid lockdown, drone certification and licensing procedures should not be subject to taxes or fees. 
  • As per the Drones regulation, it is the owner/operator who shall be held responsible for any loss caused, breach of privacy or security concerns. However, the responsibilities of other stakeholders such as manufacturers, DCGA, importers, etc should also be judged. 
  • Proper training and certification courses should be offered by the government to disseminate the required knowledge and skills to operate drones.
  • Drones need to be equipped with anti-collision lights and other basic features to detect and avert a collision with other aircraft in the vicinity. 

Conclusion

The government should direct the DGCA to pass executive policy decisions to provide access and technical knowhow to e-commerce companies, manufacturers, health care workers, and journalists to leverage the use of drones to combat both the vicious economic effects of coronavirus disease and safety of frontline workers in these trying times. However, precautions for privacy, safety, trespass, and nuisance threats to individuals need to be taken into consideration by the authorities before granting any license or certification to operators. Such a policy decision shall not only be helpful in the present times but would also shield India for future coronavirus like pandemics. 

References

1. http://www.nishithdesai.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pdfs/NDA%20In%20The%20Media/Quotes/190211_Q_Drone_Policy_2.0.pdf
2. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/regulation-of-drones/index.php
3. https://www.weforum.org/projects/new-paradigms-for-drone-regulation
4. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=4377fd16-93a2-4048-a52e-88a4e884456e
5. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/14/amazon-delivered-its-first-customer-package-drone/95401366/