NTH Approved as Drone Certification Body by QCI
In Ghaziabad, the National Test House (NTH), India’s largest multi-location multidisciplinary industrial central government testing laboratory, has received provisional approval from the Quality Council of India (QCI) to serve as a Certification Body for drone type certification—a requirement for all drone operations in India.
The country's drone industry is expected to experience substantial growth, with forecasts indicating an increase from US$ 654 million in 2024 to US$ 1,437 million by 2029. The number of drones in operation is projected to rise from 10,803 units in 2024 to 61,393 units by 2029. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, anticipates the industry’s value to reach INR 120-150 billion by 2026.
As the industry grows, NTH will play an important role in ensuring that Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) manufactured in the country adhere to stringent national and international standards for safety, quality, and performance. This certification supports the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives, which aim to establish a globally competitive drone sector.
To initiate its new responsibilities, NTH conducted a Stage-2 (onsite) audit at Vimaana Aerospace Technologies, a drone manufacturer in Noida, on September 11-12, 2024. This audit focused on the company’s D1 application for the Krishiraj 1.0, an agricultural drone designed to improve farming efficiency.
Designed to support the development of India’s drone industry, NTH’s competitive certification fee is INR 1.5 lakh. This effort is backed by government schemes such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI), the Drone Shakti, and the SVAMITVA.