Drone Operations And Cybersecurity Laws: Legal Gaps In India's Drone Regulations
- IJLLR Journal
- Nov 21, 2025
- 1 min read
Ms. Annie Wilson, Research Scholar, School of Law, Hindustan University, Chennai.
Prof. Dr. V.R Dinkar, Dean, School of Law, Hindustan University, Chennai.
ABSTRACT
This article explores the intersection of drone operations and cybersecurity in India's regulatory regime. Although the Drone Rules, 2021 are a landmark in liberalizing unmanned aircraft systems, they leave considerable lacunae in the governance of cybersecurity. These gaps undermine data protection, national security, and operator liability. Based on doctrinal analysis, the paper states that India does not have an adequate legal regime to counter cyber-threats involving drones, such as signal spoofing, unauthorized data interception, and malicious takeover. The three critical legal gaps identified in the article are: lack of explicit standards related to the cybersecurity of drones, weak enforcement mechanisms and data governance, and inadequate inter-agency coordination. Finally, the paper suggests reforms at the legislative and regulatory level by integrating drone cybersecurity into national cyber laws, strengthening certification norms, and setting up a regulatory body for drone security oversight.
Keywords: Unmanned Aerial Systems; Drone Regulation, Cybersecurity, India; Drone Rules 2021, Data Protection, Airspace Governance, NPNT, Remote Pilot Certification, UAS Cyber Threats, Aviation Law, Drone Surveillance, Regulatory Gaps, Privacy Impact Assessment, National Security.
