Air taxis to fly in India soon? Check what Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has to say

“I believe, there is a possibility that similar to taxis running on the road like Uber etc at present, we see taxis in the air, under the drone policy," he said in a conference.

Image Source: Reuters | Representational Image

New Delhi: Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday (August 26) pointed out that with the new drone policy in place, air taxis could soon fly in India in the coming days, just like taxis on the road. “I believe, there is a possibility that similar to taxis running on the road like Uber etc at present, we see taxis in the air, under the drone policy," the cabinet minister said in a conference. 

The ‘Drone Rules, 2021’ is expected to generate employment as well as accumulate economic benefits for the country, he said, adding that the new policy will enable the usage of drones in multiple sectors.

Scindia noted that Indians should stop being followers and must adopt the practice of being global leaders. "The new policy will promote research and development, manufacturing, and service delivery in the country," he said.

"There are already 200 Startups in the country even before the announcement of this policy. We expect the generation of thousands of jobs via this policy."

Scindia’s remarks on air taxis come after the Centre has replaced the UAS Rules with the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021, policy. The UAS Rules were published by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in March 2021. 

"They were perceived by academia, Startups, end-users and other stakeholders as being restrictive in nature as they involved considerable paperwork, required permissions for every drone flight and very few `free to fly` green zones were available," the MoCA said in a statement. Also Read: Drone Rules 2021: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia says 'India to become global drone hub by 2030', check other details

"Based on the feedback, the Government has decided to repeal the UAS Rules, 2021 and replace the same with the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021." Also Read: Big Aadhaar card update for NRIs! No need to wait for 182 days! Apply for Aadhaar immediately upon India arrival --Check the complete process here

- With IANS inputs.