DGCA permissions: what clients should actually know
Airspace zones, Digital Sky filings, type certification and the timelines that catch project managers out. A plain-language guide for the person commissioning the survey.
Xorian Flight Operations
Flight Ops
You do not need to become an expert in Indian drone regulation to commission a survey. You do need to know the four things that determine whether your flight happens on the date you planned.
1. Airspace zones
The Digital Sky map divides the country into green, yellow and red zones. Green needs no prior permission. Yellow needs air traffic control clearance. Red needs central government approval. A site 5 km from an airport is a different scheduling proposition from one 50 km away, and this should be checked before a quotation is issued, not after a purchase order is raised.
2. Type certification and UIN
Commercially operated aircraft must hold a Type Certificate and be registered with a Unique Identification Number. Ask your provider for both. An uncertified aircraft flying commercially exposes you as well as them.
3. Remote Pilot Certificates
Pilots must hold a current certificate issued through a DGCA-approved training organisation. Ask to see it. It takes ten seconds and it is a reasonable question.
4. Timelines
Green zone: file and fly, typically within days. Yellow zone: allow one to two weeks for clearance. Red zone: allow considerably longer, and build it into the programme from the start. The commonest scheduling failure we see is a yellow-zone site treated as though it were green.
What good looks like
Your provider should clear the airspace before quoting, file the flight before mobilising, carry third-party liability insurance, and retain the flight log afterwards. If any of those four is missing, ask why.