A spokesperson of the State government informed here today that in keeping with the vision shared by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of Himachal Pradesh approved the HP Drone Policy – 2022 in the cabinet meeting held on 06-06-2022. He said that Himachal Pradesh is the first State in the Country to frame Drone Policy in order to create a holistic Drone ecosystem built upon the foundations of Governance and Reform using Drones (GARUD) – an initiative for enabling policy, robust infrastructure, research & development, and market access for drone manufactures and service providers, launched by the Department of Information Technology. The Policy envisages use of drones in the hilly State which will bring immense benefits to the people, especially those living in remote and inaccessible areas, he added.
The policy mainly focuses upon the creation of Drone and Drone-enabled technology ecosystem industries, creation of licensed manpower pool through establishment of Drone Flying Training Schools and skill development through various Drone related courses, which are also being finalized by Government of India under National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) in order to create future ready students. He said that linkage with the National Skill Qualification Framework will ensure future readiness of students and empower them to access the job opportunities embedded in the Drone sector. The spokesperson said that Drone Policy offers incentives drawn from HP Industrial Investment Policy, HP Start-up/Innovation Scheme & IT, ITeS and ESDM Policy 2019 of Himachal Pradesh. It will incentivise and facilitate establishment of Drone design, manufacturing and services-based Industry in the State. The Drone Policy will propagate the use of Drones and Drone enabled Technology for creation of employment opportunities and economic prosperity in the State. The fruitful amalgamation of any sector, be it Agriculture, Horticulture, Health, Law and Order etc. with technological interventions will pave the path for a greener, productive and sustainable future, he added.
