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Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Friday simplified and liberalised the policy for export of drones meant for civilian use, taking it off from the restricted regulatory regime of Special Chemicals Organisms Material Equipment and Technology (SCOMET) to make India global manufacturing hub of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/ drones.
Earlier on February 9, 2022, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had prohibited the import of UAVs to give fillip to the indigenous production. The government move is in support of India’s Foreign Trade Policy 2023, which encourages export of high tech items to align with India’s international obligations on non-proliferation, said the Department of Commerce on Friday.
“The export of drones/UAVs not covered under the specified categories in SCOMET list and capable of range equal to or less than 25 km and delivering a payload of not more than 25 kgs (excluding the software and technology of these items) and meant for only civilian end-use, will now be subject to General Authorization for Export of Drones (GAED), a onetime general license valid for three years,” the DGFT officially stated in a statement.
The department of commerce said it took the step after wider consultations with all the stakeholders including seeking public and industry comments on the SCOMET policy of drones meant for civilian use.
Boost to industry
This would further facilitate the drone manufactures and the industry at large to export their aerial platforms, eventually facilitating ease of doing business and promoting export from India, stated the DGFT statement. This policy change would also promote India as a global manufacturing hub of drones and push the start-ups to scale up their capacity and capability, and at the same time encourage Indian drone manufacturers to access larger markets and compete on a global scale, ultimately boosting economic activity, the DGFT noted.
All types of drones were earlier restricted for export under the category 5B of the SCOMET list
“This list deals with the category of items that are subject to specific regulations due to their potential dual-use nature—meaning they can have both civilian and military applications. SCOMET license was required for export of such items and the the industry was facing challenges to export drones with limited capability which are only meant for civilian use,” the DGFT said.
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