NTH–STQC Pact Strengthens India’s Drone Testing and Certification Ecosystem

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

In a significant move to strengthen the national drone ecosystem, NTH has entered into a government-to-government collaboration with the Standardization Testing & Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate – Electronics Regional Test Laboratory (North) [ERTL (North)], under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

EMI/EMC Testing to Strengthen Drone Safety Framework

The collaboration will enable Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing of drones and their subsystems, addressing a critical regulatory requirement under the Drone Rules, 2021 and the Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS), 2022.

This initiative will significantly enhance India's capacity to certify safe, reliable and globally compliant Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

MoU Signed in Presence of Senior Officials

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 2 February 2026 in the presence of senior government and technical leaders, including:

• Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs

• Dr Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General, National Test House

• Shri Vivek Kashyap, Scientist 'G', STQC Directorate

• Shri Pradeep Gunjyal, Scientist 'F' and Director, ERTL (North)

Integrated, Cost-Effective Certification for Drone Manufacturers

Under the MoU:

• EMI/EMC and immunity testing will be conducted at ERTL (North) in line with IEC 61000 / IS 14700 standards

• All remaining certification tests will be carried out by NTH at its own facilities

• Test reports will be seamlessly integrated into the Type Certification process

This integrated approach offers drone manufacturers—especially startups and MSMEs—a transparent, credible and government-backed certification pathway, while avoiding duplication of high-cost testing infrastructure.

Meeting Global Standards, Enhancing Export Potential

Drones certified through this collaboration will meet international benchmarks, including:

• IEC / ISO

• MIL-STD

• ASTM

• RTCA standards

This alignment is expected to significantly enhance global acceptance of Indian-certified drones, boosting export potential and international competitiveness.

Affordable Testing to Accelerate Innovation

By making world-class drone testing and certification accessible at substantially lower costs than private facilities, the initiative is expected to accelerate innovation across multiple sectors, including:

• Agriculture

• Logistics and supply chains

• Healthcare delivery

• Disaster management

• Infrastructure monitoring

• Smart cities

Building a Future-Ready Indigenous Drone Ecosystem

The NTH–STQC collaboration marks a major milestone in expanding India's indigenous drone certification capabilities, strengthening regulatory oversight while supporting innovation-driven growth.

National Test House (NTH) is approved by the DGCA and Quality Council of India (QCI) as a Certification Body (CB) / Authorised Testing Entity (ATE) under the CSUAS, and plays a critical role in ensuring safety, quality and compliance for emerging technologies.

Established in 1912, NTH is a premier scientific institution under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, operating a nationwide network of NABL-accredited laboratories that provide testing, inspection, quality assurance and certification services across diverse sectors.

The government said the collaboration reflects a strategic push to create a robust, future-ready and globally trusted drone certification ecosystem for India.