Government slashes red tape, makes sweeping changes to drone rules: Here’s what has changed

The government has relaxed rules on the use of drones, making it easier to acquire licenses and allowing heavier payloads so they can potentially be used as unmanned flying taxis.

Payloads of up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) are now allowed, up from 300kg previously, while operators require only five authorizations to fly drones compared with 25 before, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement Thursday. Remote pilot licenses will no longer be needed to fly the smallest unmanned aerial vehicles and there won’t be any restrictions on foreign ownership in Indian drone companies, it said.