The Austrians used balloons to drop bombs controlled by time fuses in 1849 to attack Venice, which is one of the earliest instances of using an unmanned aerial vehicle. Drones as we know them today were primarily used by various military forces. Their commercial use is a fairly recent development.  It has been estimated that around 2 Million recreational drones were sold last year alone and with their functionality increasing it is understood that those numbers are not going to be dropping any time soon. Drones can be used for an array of things on the domestic front, from taking photographs, delivering goods, surveys, mapping etc. The inclusion of this technology in daily lives of the public brings pertinent questions as to how to regulate them.

There are several countries which have come up with regulations to govern the commercial use of drones, such as USA, Australia, UK, and China etc. These regulations confront the various issues that arise with the use of drones. Most countries have adopted the method of using the size/weight of the drone in order to classify them. These classifications in turn are used to have more focused regulations. A smaller less powerful drone would not require as many restrictions on how they are to be operated as compared to a heavier vehicle.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has made public the draft rules on the use of drones in India for comments and it is estimated that these rules would mostly come into force by the end of 2017. The rules like other international regulations classify the drones according to their weight, as well as restricting the height at which they can fly which is also dependent on their weight. The draft rules also stipulate that certain types of drones would require air clearance and the persons remotely operating them should hold sufficient licenses and have the necessary training. Security measures are also laid down which prescribe the ideal conditions under which a drone can be flown especially relating to the  weather and visibility.

The draft regulations give us a fair idea as to how the uses of drones are going to be regulated from a procedural stand point. The various cases of use of drones, such as delivery of goods by ecommerce sites, transport of emergency equipment and blood, disaster management, surveying and general use by hobbyists show that drones are here to stay and there are several issues which arise with such multifaceted uses that they have.

Safety is a major concern as there are going to be many users. The consequence of what could  happen in the case of a mid air collision are concerning., Parts of a drone could fall on a person or property and could cause significant damages. In  case of such issues, establishing liability, jurisdiction etc. would become a major problem unless such questions are addressed earlier on in the developmental stages of the law. With e-commerce sites looking to tap into the ease of delivery aspect by using drones, we could have massive air traffic issues that will arise unless there are established routes, protocols and procedures laid down which are to be followed.

Privacy is a factor that has to be addressed. With large scale surveys possible now with the use of drones and aerial photography picking up pace, how the contours of the privacy of an individual will be affected is to be determined. A person may unintentionally capture a picture or information that they are not privy too.