Reinforcing the Government of India’s commitment to Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Vision 2047, the National Test House (NTH) has taken a significant step towards positioning India as a globally competitive hub for safe, reliable, and certified drone technologies.

In this direction, National Test House (NTH) has entered into a government-to-government collaboration with the Standardization Testing & Quality Certification Directorate (STQC) Directorate – Electronics Regional Test Laboratory (North) [ERTL (North)], under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). This will enable Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing of drones, thus strengthening India’s drone testing and certification framework.

The collaboration addresses a critical regulatory requirement under the Drone Rules, 2021 and the Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS), 2022, and will significantly enhance India’s capability to certify safe, reliable, and globally compliant Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 2nd February 2026 in the presence of Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General, National Test House; Shri Vivek Kashyap, Scientist ‘G’, STQC Directorate; and Shri Pradeep Gunjyal, Scientist ‘F’ and Director, ERTL (North).

Under the proposed MoU, EMI/EMC and immunity testing of drones and their subsystems will be carried out at ERTL (North) in accordance with applicable IEC 61000 / IS 14700 standards, while NTH will conduct the rest of the tests at its own premises. The test reports generated through this collaboration will be seamlessly integrated into the Type Certification process, providing drone manufacturers—particularly startups and MSMEs—with a transparent, seamless, credible, and Government-backed certification pathway.

This collaborative approach avoids duplication of high-cost infrastructure, enables optimal utilization of existing national facilities, and significantly strengthens India’s regulatory framework for drone safety and reliability. It also ensures that drones certified through NTH meet global benchmarks such as IEC/ISO, MIL-STD, ASTM, and RTCA, enhancing international acceptance of Indian-certified drones.

By making world-class drone testing and certification accessible and affordable, at substantially lower cost than private facilities, the initiative will accelerate innovation across sectors such as agriculture, logistics, healthcare, disaster management, infrastructure monitoring, and smart cities.

The proposed collaboration between NTH and STQC–ERTL (North) marks an important milestone in expanding NTH’s drone certification capabilities and building a robust, indigenous, and future-ready drone certification ecosystem for the nation.

National Test House (NTH) is approved by DGCA and QCI as a Certification Body (CB) / Authorized Testing Entity (ATE) under the Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS) and plays a critical role in ensuring safety, quality, and regulatory compliance for emerging technologies, including drones.

NTH is a premier scientific and testing institution of the Government of India, established in 1912, functioning under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. With a nationwide network of NABL-accredited laboratories, NTH provides testing, inspection, quality assurance, and certification services across diverse sectors.

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RT/ARC

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