Drone rules
By the NVX engineering team, New Delhi · 29 October 2026 · 6 min read
Owning and flying a DJI drone is not banned in India. It must have entered the country legally and follow the Drone Rules, 2021 like any other drone. What is restricted is bringing one in: since 9 February 2022, India has prohibited importing complete foreign-made drones, with narrow exceptions. Most problems come from drones carried in from abroad, not from the brand itself.
The rules treat owning a drone and importing one separately.
DGFT Notification 54/2015-20 of 9 February 2022 made importing drones as complete units or kits (CBU, SKD or CKD) prohibited. Exceptions are R&D, defence and security uses, and each needs a DGFT import authorisation.
Drone components can be imported freely. That is how repair workshops like ours get spare parts for DJI drones.
Drones present in India on or before 30 November 2021 could get a UIN if they had a Drone Acknowledgement Number (DAN), a GST-paid invoice and appeared on the DGCA's approved list.
No rule bans DJI by name. What matters is how the drone entered India and whether it meets the Drone Rules.
The usual Drone Rules, 2021 apply to every drone.
Nano (up to 250 g), micro (250 g to 2 kg), small and larger. Many DJI Mini models are sold as sub-250 g, but check your exact unit with its battery.
Drones above nano need a UIN on Digital Sky. The DGCA has warned that registrations of illegally imported drones can be suspended or cancelled, and flying with a cancelled registration attracts penalties.
Not needed for nano drones or for micro drones flown for non-commercial use. Commercial and heavier flying needs a remote pilot certificate.
Fly only in green zones on the Digital Sky map, up to 400 ft, unless you have permission.
This is where most travellers get caught out.
A drone that does not meet the import rules can be held at customs. Do not assume a small or personal drone is allowed in.
According to the DGCA, registering an imported drone needs prior DGFT import authorisation, which individuals normally cannot get for personal use.
If you still plan to travel with a drone, check with Indian Customs and the airline before you leave, not at the airport.
Foreign visitors face extra restrictions on flying drones in India. Check with the Indian authorities before travelling.
Ask the seller for the original GST invoice and the drone's registration details on Digital Sky, and make sure the serial number on the drone matches both. A cheap drone with no papers may be impossible to register, and we cannot help you register it. When owners bring DJI drones to our workshop, we repair them as an independent service centre. NVX is not DJI-authorised, and a repair does not change the drone's legal status.
FAQ
Yes, if it entered India legally and you follow the Drone Rules, 2021: registration above 250 g, a pilot certificate where required, and green-zone flying.
Drones above 250 g need a UIN on Digital Sky. Imported drones need DGFT import authorisation, and the DGCA has warned that registrations of illegally imported drones can be cancelled.
Importing complete drones has been prohibited since February 2022, with narrow exceptions. Check the current rules with Indian Customs and the DGCA before you travel.
Buy only from a seller who gives a GST invoice and can show how the drone entered India. Check the serial number against the invoice.
Any drone that entered India legally and is flown under the Drone Rules, 2021. Nano drones are the simplest to fly for fun. Indian made drones avoid the import question altogether.
Yes. NVX repairs DJI drones as an independent workshop in Connaught Place, New Delhi. We are not DJI-authorised.
Book a repair
Visit us at C Block, C42/2, 1st Floor, Dwarka Sadan, Middle Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001 (Mon-Sat, 11:00 AM-7:00 PM), or courier your drone from anywhere in India.
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