Government of India grants permission to BCCI to use drones during the Indian home season 2021

Watching cricket has changed over the years. The experience of watching and the way it is broadcasted has also changed. From a time when there would be cameras on only one end of the ground to a point where drones were being used to capture footage for the fans to see, cricket broadcasting has surely evolved and become much better. 

In a recent development, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now allowed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for using drones for getting live aerial footage for the Indian home cricket season of 2021. The drones will be allowed to fly over the stadiums to get regular coverage of the match from that angle. 

MoCA was requested by BCCI and M/s Quidich for granting permission for the usage of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for filming broadcast footage from the air. The joint secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Shri Amber Dubey, has said as quoted by Live Mint, “The drone ecosystem is evolving rapidly in our country. Its utilization is expanding from agriculture, mining, healthcare and disaster management to sports and entertainment.”

In line with the objectives of the Government of India: Amber Dubey about using drones for aerial footage during live cricket

He further stated that the idea also falls in line with the Government of India’s plan to use drones for commercial purposes across the country. “The granting of this permission is in line with the objectives of the Government of India to promote the commercial use of drones in the country. The Drone Rules 2021 are in the final stages of discussion with the law ministry. We are hoping to receive the approvals by March 2021”, he added.

The conditional exemption will be valid until 31st December 2021 starting from the date of issue of the letter or till the complete operationalization of Digital Sky Platform (Phase-1), which happens first. There have been some rules which have been set. According to this, BCCI needs to get clearances from the local administration, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Air Defence Clearance from Indian Air Force and Airport Authority of India before using the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).

These clearances will be necessary for the board before they use the system in the home matches which will be played from here on. Earlier, we have seen drones going around the stadiums and getting footage along with spider cameras in some places. Drones just make things easier for any broadcaster.