Sri Lanka develops national strategy for drone technology

Sri Lanka is developing a national strategy to standardize, test and commercialize drone technology as its use expands across agriculture, industry and other sectors, the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement on Monday.

The ministry said officials and experts had begun discussions on establishing a coordinated framework for drone development, manufacturing, assembly, testing and commercial applications.

The proposed strategy will introduce national standards covering drone manufacturing, safety and applications in agriculture, industry and environmental management.

Authorities will also identify laboratories for drone testing and quality control and explore opportunities for research, technology development and commercialization.

The ministry said the government would work with relevant agencies to address legal and policy barriers that could hinder the development of the sector.

The framework will take into account regulations administered by the Ministry of Defense, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka.