Asteria Aerospace receives first micro category drone certification from DGCA
Asteria’s A200 drone was found to be fully compliant with the certification scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems notified in January 2022.
Limited, a full-stack drone technology company, has received India’s first micro category drone type certification for its indigenously designed A200 drone from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The company develops customised drone solutions for government and enterprise customers using its in-house hardware design, software development, and manufacturing capabilities. It is the subsidiary of Jio Platforms Ltd—which is a majority-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd.
The DGCA categorises drones based on their weight. Drones with an all-up weight of 250 gm to 2 kg fall under the micro category of drones. Asteria’s A200 drone was found to be fully compliant with the certification scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems notified in January 2022.
Asteria’s A200 drone has been developed for surveying and mapping applications in GIS, agriculture, construction, mining, and other industries. The A200 has a survey-grade GPS and a high-resolution imaging camera which can be used to accurately map land parcels, making it ideal for projects like the SVAMITVA scheme in which the government is using drones to digitise and establish clear ownership of property in rural parts of the country.
In agriculture, the A200 drone can be used for precision mapping of farms to accurately monitor crop growth and health, assess the damage, and capture visual records for insurance claims, among other purposes. The micro-sized drone from Asteria can also be used by Remote Pilot Training Organizations to impart pilot training to individuals seeking to acquire Remote Pilot Certificate.
On the certification issued, Neel Mehta, Co-founder and Director of Asteria Aerospace Limited, said, “It is a matter of great pride for us to receive the first micro category drone certification from the DGCA. The certification makes Asteria’s A200 drone fully compliant with the Drone Rules 2021, which is a requirement for drone operations in India. We are committed to leading the way in providing best-in-class, compliant drones to our customers to fulfil applications at scale.”
The A200 drone is a rugged, reliable, and performance-driven multirotor drone that weighs less than 2 kg and has advanced features including automated take-off and landing, multiple fail-safes, single pilot operation, tool-less assembly and disassembly, and a flight time of up to 40 minutes. It is available with survey-grade PPK GPS and both RGB imaging and multispectral imaging camera options, making it ideal for surveying and mapping for applications across industries.
The Drone Rules, 2021 were notified in August 2021 and the ‘Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS)’ for obtaining Type Certificate (TC) for drones was notified on January 26, 2022 to create an ecosystem for world class drones to be manufactured in India and sold all across the world. Drone Rules, 2021 allows the Quality Council of India (QCI) 60 days or the Certification Bodies (CB) and 15 days to DGCA for issuing the Type Certificate (i.e 75 days in total), provided all the necessary documents and test reports as per specifications.
IotechWorld Avigation was one of the first companies to receive the Type Certification in the small category. To date, five companies spanning micro, medium and small categories have received this certification including CBAI Technologies Private Limited, Dhaksha Unmanned Systems Private Limited, and General Aeronautics Private Limited.
Edited by Kanishk Singh