PANAJI
Goa on Monday became the third State in India after Himachal Pradesh and Telengana to formally adopt a 'drone policy' with a thrust for their use in governance and public service delivery.
The policy was formally unveiled by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at Porvorim in the presence of IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, Goa Infotech Corporation chairman, Dr Chandrakant Shetye and other officials.
The policy, according to Sawant, will boost skill training and also employment generation with incentives to attract investment in drone manufacturing.
The policy envisages use of drones in governance including by departments like agriculture, transport and even disaster management.
Sawant said there is scope for use of drones in activities like land survey as well as security.
On the regulation front, the Centre's 'Drone Rule 2021' will come into force and drone users will have to obtain permissions from the Civil Aviation Ministry and also register them with designated authorities.
Khaunte, meanwhile, said through the drone policy, the Sawant-led government intends to position Goa as a key State in the country's drone ecosystem.
The policy he said, promotes and incentivises drone design, manufacturing of drones and will attract companies in the field to make Goa a base, especially at the electronic manufacturing hub coming up at Tuem.
The stress is also to build institutional and academic capacity on drone technology within the state. It will also increase awareness of the technology among public and private sector entities through technology conclaves in the state, Khaunte said.
The policy will support drone technology start-ups and Make in India initiative in drones and drone component manufacturing and generate employment opportunities for Goans, he said.
