DGCA Drone Pilot Licence (RPC): Cost, Eligibility and How to Get It

Every route to earning with drones in India — agri-spraying, land surveying, photography — begins with one document: DGCA’s Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC). Many young people in Bengal know it simply as the “drone licence”. The good news: the government fee is only ₹100 — the real cost is the training, and that is where agents set traps. The complete math is below.

What is the RPC, and who needs it

The RPC is DGCA’s certificate for commercial drone operators. The rule is simple:

• Hobby flying — no RPC needed for light drones.
• Commercial work — an RPC is mandatory for any paid work on drones weighing over 2 kg (micro/small categories).

Agri-spraying drones are typically in the 10–25 kg class — so if you want to run a spraying business or use the drone subsidy scheme, there is no way around an RPC.

Eligibility and cost breakdown

Item	Details
Age	18–65 years
Education	Class 10 pass
Medical fitness	General fitness, with sound vision and hearing
Government fee (RPC)	₹100 (on the eGCA portal)
RPTO training (5–7 days)	₹40,000–65,000 (typical market rate)*
Total estimated cost	₹40,000–65,000

* The course fee is not government-fixed; it can range from ₹20,000 to over ₹1 lakh depending on the institute. Agri-drone courses are usually slightly costlier than the basic course.

Remember: if anyone tells you “the licence fee is ₹65,000”, that is misinformation. Everything besides ₹100 is a training cost — and it is paid directly to the institute.

What the RPTO course covers

Training is available only at DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs) — the list is published on dgca.gov.in. The course includes:

1. Theory — drone regulations, airspace, weather, emergency procedures
2. Simulator — hands-on practice on the controller
3. Actual flights — completing the prescribed flight hours
4. Assessment — a final exam; once you pass, the RPTO submits your result to eGCA

The agri-spraying course additionally covers chemical-tank operations, nozzle height and seasonal work specifics.

Steps for the RPC on the eGCA portal

The old Digital Sky platform (digitalsky.dgca.gov.in) has now moved to DGCA’s DigiGov portal’s eGCA system — all new registrations happen on eGCA:

1. Go to dgca.gov.in and on the eGCA login page select “Get eGCA ID (For Drone Users Only)”
2. Verify your mobile and email with OTP and create the account
3. Verify your identity with Aadhaar e-KYC
4. After completing RPTO training, submit the RPC application — fee ₹100
5. Once approved, download the digital RPC

If you buy a drone, you must also register its UIN on the same portal — the fee there is also ₹100. Registration of imported non-type-certified drones is currently suspended, so verify a type-certified model before buying.

Earning routes as a drone pilot

• Agri-spraying hire — market rate ₹400–600 per acre; one drone can cover up to 20–25 acres a day in season (full business math)
• Namo Drone Didi — take the subsidy through the SHG route and serve villages (subsidy guide)
• Training support — experienced operators also get field-trainer work with RPTOs/dealers
• Surveying and photography — land measurement, real estate, events; urban demand is constant

Beware of agent traps

• “Come to the call letter, we guarantee the licence” — an RPC comes only after passing training and assessment; be wary of any organisation promising guarantees.
• Money into a personal UPI for “registration fee”/“portal charges” — the government fee is ₹100 and is payable on the portal itself.
• Unapproved “training centres” — match the name against DGCA’s RPTO list, otherwise the certificate is invalid.

Next steps

• The route to buying a drone with subsidy — Namo Drone Didi & SMAM guide
• How much a drone earns per month — drone spraying business breakdown
• Other work-training routes — education & career section

These figures combine official rules and approximate market rates; last verified September 2026. Fees and processes can change — check dgca.gov.in before applying.