The Daily Brief A new bill could sink India’s drones from the sky
Nov 21, 2025
India's proposed 2025 drone bill is raising eyebrows among innovators, with provisions like universal registration and mandatory licensing threatening to stifle growth. Drones have significantly impacted farming, health, and security, but the backlash could reverse recent advancements. Meanwhile, US tariffs are squeezing Indian exports, particularly in textiles and engineering, while electronics show surprising resilience. The RBI is attempting to ease liquidity pressure, but lasting solutions are essential for future competitiveness in global markets.
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Drones Replacing Backbreaking Labour
- Akshara describes drones as "floating tractors, mobile surveillance towers and airborne delivery boys" and gives village vaccine and farm-spraying examples.
- These stories show drones cutting hours of labour to minutes and saving inputs like fertiliser, transforming services in remote India.
2021 Rules Fueled A Fast Drone Boom
- The 2021 drone rules used trust, self-certification and NPNT to open a testing ecosystem and accelerate local manufacturing.
- That framework let students, startups and component makers iterate cheaply in green zones, fuelling rapid market growth.
Draft 2025 Bill Risks Stifling Innovation
- The 2025 draft reverses the innovation mindset by imposing universal registration, mandatory licensing, type certification and criminal penalties.
- Together these measures raise costs and legal risks, effectively putting a price on experimentation and grassroots innovation.