NEW DELHI: India will soon take the first step towards operating drones “beyond line of sight” — flying them over a distance where the operator can’t see this “remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)” while piloting it to its destination and back.
Once successful, this will eventually pave the way for using drones for deliveries, e-commerce, and even as air taxis in areas of India where there are no security concerns that would prohibit their use.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from consortia of experts for “conducting experimental beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations of RPA in India, leading to submission of proof of concept (PoC) for safe BVLOS operations”.
