@Cyrilroy21
To answer your questions specifically :
My training was done under part 91, hence we did not have to do much of time building in order to meet the minimum hour requirements according to FAR... therefore All my flight time in my logbook has been either alone or with an Instructor.
(except for about 8 hours when I rented an aircraft to take my family out for a joyride ! ... )
We all know that FARs specifically mention the safety pilot thing and permit the safety pilot to log PIC.
Now, is that legal under the DGCA ?
Well, here is an interesting way to look at it :
This is what the DGCA CARs (Act of 1937) says about Private Pilots and logging PIC time :
" The holder of a Private Pilot’s Licence may log as pilot-in-command only the flight time during which he acts as pilot-in-command. "
NOTE THAT it is NOT mentioned that the private pilot MUST be sitting on left seat or right seat or anything. or that he should even be at the controls.
Being a safety pilot MOST DEFINITELY means ACTING as the PILOT IN COMMAND because without a safety pilot, the flight is TOTALLY UNSAFE and ILLEGAL.
Hence, that one line ... which is .....
The holder of a Private Pilot’s Licence may log as pilot-in-command only the flight time during which he acts as pilot-in-command.
.... SAYS IT ALL.
WHEN A PRIVATE PILOT IS SITTING ON THE RIGHT SEAT AND PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF A SAFETY PILOT, THEN HE IS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND.