Four years after the regulatory crackdown, drones are set to rise from the shadows as government releases a roadmap for opening up the skies.

\"Drones are about to open up a completely new dimension in application areas as diverse as photography, delivery and security.\"

The report submitted by the panel has also raised the issue of discourteous and rude airline staff; the panel's recommendations come a day after the aviation ministry reportedly sided with the airlines on the issue.

A four-pronged strategy is reportedly on the anvil to revive the state-owned Air India, complete with a brand overhaul and motivation for the workforce.

Four years after its crackdown on the drone operators, the government had recently formulated a policy - Drone Regulations 1.0 - that allows drone operators to fly legally after taking clearance through a mobile app.

A task force set up by the ministry of civil aviation is currently exploring the use cases for drones in India. The task force includes people from industry, academia and air force.