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It’s sheer luck — or perhaps divine intervention — that no player was harmed by the drones used during the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) held in the Middle East. In hindsight, the potential for disaster was alarmingly high. According to sources, a private organisation — falsely claiming endorsement from the Indian government — was responsible for operating the drones during the tournament.
What’s more concerning is that the group secured permissions using a forged No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and deployed unlicensed pilots to fly drones over active stadiums packed with players, staff, and essential personnel.
What’s even more alarming is the growing monopoly in the drone operations space — allegedly controlled by the Drone Federation “of” India.
Sources claim that this group has not only cornered the market, preventing other legitimate players from entering the industry, but has also allegedly forged official government documents, The fraudulent document was allegedly submitted to the DGCA, misleading the public into believing the organisation had official government endorsement and issued fake licenses. Shockingly, is said to carry the signature of a government official who had already retired months before issuing the said forged document.
“This is a scam, and the matter is sub judice,” a senior industry source told CricBlogger, requesting anonymity due to legal sensitivities.
The alleged misuse of forged documents, combined with a lack of transparency and fair competition in drone operations — particularly in high-stakes environments like the IPL — has raised serious concerns about regulatory capture and institutional failure. As per the sources, If proven, this could be one of the most serious breaches in sports event management and aviation compliance in recent times and DFI leadership could face serious legal consequences under BNS 2023, with charges under sections 61,316,336,337,338 and 340 – all of which are considered cognisable and non bailable offences.
Without securing necessary approval or authorization from the DGCA or MOCS, DFI and its group companies were allowed to conduct their business all throughout,” the source said while adding that even an enemy organisation could have taken advantage of this scam.
“The key point to note is that no authorization was granted to either DFI or Pioneer Flying Academy by the DGCA at that time, as required under Rule 41B of the Aircraft Rules, 1937,” the source told CricBlogger.
What adds another layer of concern is the involvement of multiple government agencies, including the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, which flagged the irregularities and called for a deeper probe into the matter. With the court petition now in motion, the legal noose appears to be tightening.
Amidst all these troubling developments, another of alarming instance came to light— a drone show at Hindon — organised by this very fraudulent organisation. Despite serious gaps in due diligence, the company was allowed to operate drones over live cricket matches and No flying zones raising significant safety and regulatory concerns. It was only after court intervention earlier this year that their operations were finally grounded and no drone shots were taken in IPL 2025.
In fact, even the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) had formally raised questions about DFI’s legal standing and operational credibility — queries that went unanswered. Amid the silence from regulatory authorities, it is now incumbent upon the BCCI, which had entered into an agreement with Vendor for drone-based aerial videography cinematography and buggy cams (all remotely operated), to raise the alarm and take corrective action. If left unchecked, the operations of such entities could pose a serious threat to player safety and the integrity of the game.
Should BCCI be held responsible for the improper due diligence done by them while such vendors carrying forged documents continue to service them. with gross negligence of security of players and the audience? What is more interesting is that while PIL is in existing and all the events are published in the media from such a long time the vendor continues to service with his strong nexus with govt agencies and BCCI, with both DFI and the vendor having a common directorships.
Laws are for mangoes not for officials of cricket boards.
Number of pending cases is disappointing.
Great story Indraneel you are one of the best in the industry, kudos, hats off
This is really shocking and the best way to deal with people involved in forging documents is by putting behind bars as per laws .This is not only illegal but a huge security threat .Drones are a huge threat to a any public gathering for events and as such sale , posession of drones should be regulated and be only under lawful possession .Anti drone measures for capturing / downing of such drones without any valid approvals to operate in any event .
Great
Great story. This is a criminal act and apt punishment should be handed out