The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) of India has revealed that Chinese manufacturers supply 39% of flight controllers for small drones in India. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation disclosed this in a written reply to a question in the lower house of the Parliament on April 3, 2025.
Lok Sabha member Sayani Ghosh of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had submitted the following questions:
- whether the Government proposes to introduce a new PLI Scheme for manufacturers of drones and drone components in the country, and if so, the details thereof;
- The details of the achievements of the first PLI Scheme for the said manufacturers, under which an outlay incentive of Rs 120 crores was set aside by the Government in September 2021;
- The reasons for the discontinuation of the said PLI Scheme;
- whether the Government is aware that 90% of flight controllers used in small drones in the country are imported from China; and
- If so, the details thereof, along with the steps taken by the government for the indigenisation of drone components?
In reply, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, told the parliament that according to the data submitted by “Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)”, another term for drones, manufacturers in India, 39% of small drone flight controllers have been sourced from manufacturers based in China.
What are Drone Flight Controllers?
Often referred to as the brain of a drone, drone flight controllers are the most significant component of a UAS. A flight controller is a circuit board that controls the movement, flight trajectory, speed and direction of drones. A suite of sensors onboard a flight controller helps the drones do what they are meant to. Like the motherboard on a computer, the flight controller makes a drone functional.
Funds Not Fully Utilised Under the PLI Scheme?
The PLI scheme for Indian drone manufacturers was notified on September 30, 2021. The scheme had an outlay of Rs. 120 crores with a sunset provision for the scheme running from FY 2021-22 to FY 2023-24. The scheme aimed to encourage the indigenisation of drones and its component manufacturing.
The Minister further revealed that the government had disbursed incentives of approximately Rs. 98.32 crores to Indian drone manufacturers under the PLI scheme, including the component manufacturers. Which means that about 18% of the total outlay of Rs. 120 crores remained unutilised. The MCA did not reveal the reason for the underutilisation of funds. The ministry has also not disclosed its plans for another PLI scheme for drone manufacturers.
Drones in India:
It is important to note that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) classifies small drones as ones weighing more than 2 kg but less than or equal to 25kg. Other classes being:
- Nano class: Drones that weigh up to 250g.
- Micro class: Drones weighing over 250g but up to 2kg.
- Small class: Drones that weigh more than 2kg but up to 25kg.
- Medium class: Drones that weigh more than 25kg but up to 150kg.
- Large class: Drones that weigh more than 150kg.
Earlier in February, the MCA disclosed that India has registered 10,208 type-certified commercial drones till September 2024 on DGCA’s Digital Sky Platform, an Indian government platform for drone regulation and operation. Additionally, the DGCA has issued 96 type certificates for various UAS models, including 65 for agriculture and 31 for logistics and surveillance.
Note: The fourth paragraph was edited for clarity based on editorial inputs on 04/04/2025 at 3:54 pm.
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