Can you fly your drone in India?

In India, the credential to know about is Remote Pilot Certificate. Whether you need it depends on your drone's weight and how you fly — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) runs the scheme, and the official sources below spell out exactly when it applies.

Effectively no — India offers tourists no legal route: drone imports of any size, a DJI Mini included, have been banned since 2022, so customs can detain or seize a drone on arrival, and DigitalSky registration is open only to Indian citizens and Indian-registered entities. Declare any drone at the Red Channel and expect it to be held until departure; flying it is not lawful. Rules for foreign pilots can change, so always double-check with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) before you travel, and see the official sources below.

The short version: DigitalSky divides airspace into Green (instant automated permission), Yellow (controlled airspace, ~15-30 min automated processing — this includes the airport perimeter band, roughly 8-12 km), and Red (restricted, manual approval required) zones — always check DigitalSky before flying, as the exact zone boundaries near any specific airport can differ from this general pattern. On top of that: Insurance mandatory for all categories except Nano. Also: Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) is required for commercial use of Micro (250g-2kg) and larger drones, and mandatory for all Small-category drones (2-25 kg) and above regardless of purpose. Nano (<250g) never needs an RPC, even for commercial use. These are central aviation rules — location-specific airspace, land, nature, privacy and photography requirements can also apply in India, so always check the official sources.

What you need to avoid are the restricted zones — typically around airports, prisons, military areas and protected nature. You'll find the official map for India under Sources below, and the DroneKoll app keeps the country's rules, weather and checklists in one place before you fly.

Drone flying in India is regulated by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airspace itself is managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI). You will find both organisations' official pages under Sources below — those are the links worth bookmarking.