Certification · 12 Sept 2026 · 6 min read
Eligibility, training, assessment and Digital Sky. A step by step look at what it takes to become a certified drone pilot.
Under the Drone Rules 2021, anyone who operates a drone above the nano category for non-recreational purposes in India needs a Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC). The certificate is issued through the Digital Sky platform after you complete training at a DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation.
Who is eligible
- Age between 18 and 65 years
- Passed Class 10 or equivalent
- A valid government-issued identity document
What the training covers
Training is split into ground school, simulator practice and real flight sessions. Ground school covers regulations, airspace, principles of flight, weather and emergency procedures. Simulator hours build your stick control, and field sessions put it to work on a real aircraft.
Assessment and issue
At the end of the course you sit a theory test and a practical flying test. Once you pass, the training organisation uploads your record and the certificate is generated on Digital Sky. The RPC is valid for ten years.
The whole process, from day one of training to certificate in hand, is usually a matter of days rather than months, which makes it one of the fastest routes into a technical aviation career.
