Drone Laws in India

Not permitted for visitors

Effectively no. Importing a foreign drone is prohibited (in force since 2022), and foreigners cannot register a drone, so a tourist cannot legally bring or fly their own drone. Assume you cannot fly in India as a visitor.

India regulates drones through the DGCA and Digital Sky, but an import ban and a registration system closed to foreigners mean visitors effectively cannot fly their own drone.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Drone rules change frequently and vary by location. Always confirm the current rules with the national aviation authority (linked below) before you fly. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Aviation authority

Directorate General of Civil Aviation

The rules

Registration: Required for all drones except Nano (≤250g) via Digital Sky (issues a UIN); a Remote Pilot Certificate (min age 18) is needed above Nano, but registration is not open to foreigners.
Remote ID: No live-broadcast mandate; India uses "No Permission-No Takeoff" (NPNT) digital permission per flight.
Maximum altitude: 120 m (400 ft) in Green zones; lower for Micro/Nano.
Line of sight: VLOS and daylight only; BVLOS only via special DGCA authorisation.
No-fly and distance rules: Airspace mapped Green/Yellow/Red on Digital Sky; Red = no-fly; Yellow (typically ~8-12 km around airports) needs permission. No flying near military, strategic sites, borders or over crowds.
Commercial and paid work: Needs an RPC, a registered drone and insurance; a foreign entity must lease to an Indian entity that holds the authorisations.
Notable restrictions: The import ban is the decisive one for visitors; wildlife sanctuaries, borders and government precincts are Red zones.
Penalties: Fines and confiscation for illegal operation; undeclared imported drones are seized by customs.

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Official sources

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