A remote Pilot License is equivalent to a driver's license for a car. A license is required to fly a drone for commercial purposes in India. Flying commercially without a Remote Pilot License would be termed illegal.

As a professional flier, drone pilot training not only helps you acquire the necessary drone flying skills but is also a mandatory requirement to get a remote pilot license.

The cost of drone training varies as per the category of the drone. It also varies upon the duration of the training and the institute you are enrolled in.

Based on the category of drone, Remote Pilot Licenses have been divided into three categories. These are:

• CAT1 Remote Pilot License (RePL) Basic - up to Small Category, for operation only in visual line of sight in Green Zones up to 400ft altitude
• CAT2 Remote Pilot License (RePL) Special- up to Medium Category, for operation in all zones beyond visual line of sight and beyond 400ft altitude
• CAT3 Remote Pilot License (RePL) Advance- up to Large Category, for operation in all zones beyond visual line of sight and beyond 400ft altitude

Each category of Pilot License enables you to fly a certain category of a drone. Hence, you should have a CAT2 Remote Pilot Special License to fly a small category drone.

You must possess a CAT2 or CAT3 license along with the required permission from DGCA to be able to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight.

It depends upon the type of remote pilot course you are enrolled for and the type of aircraft (aeroplane, rotorcraft or hybrid) you are trained in.

No, there are no separate provisions as per the rules. The Student Remote Pilot License has the same requirements as that of a Remote Pilot License.

It is not mandatory to get training if you are flying a nano drone or micro drone for non-commercial purposes. Training helps learn the desired skills and is also the only route to get the Remote Pilot License for commercial and professional flying.

You need a licence if you are flying a micro drone for commercial purposes. However, you do not need a licence if you are flying a micro drone for non-commercial use. Nano drone flying is also exempted from licensing.

Remote pilot licences come with a validity of 10 years, unless suspended or cancelled. Also, a remote pilot licence is valid only if it is enlisted on the Digital Sky Platform.

Remote pilot licence can be renewed by any authorized Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) for a maximum period of 10 years. You may be required to undergo refresher courses specified on the Digital Sky Platform.

All the conditions must fulfil - your age must be 18-65; you should have passed class 10th or equivalent examination from a recognised board; you should have completed the training prescribed for the applicable class of remote pilot licence from an authorised RPTO.

The Indian government is actively promoting and facilitatinggrowth of the drone industry. With this growth, the demand fordrone pilots is set to grow significantly. It is a good careeroption as the industry has already started taking shape.