Gurugram, Oct 1 (IANS) Drone Didi, a Central government scheme, is playing a vital role in equipping rural women with modern agricultural technology while providing employment and self-reliance.
Lakshmi, a resident of Basai Khanjada village in Haryana’s Nuh district, has become the face of this success model, as she and her team have taken on spraying pesticides and fertilizers across 8-10 villages in the district.
She has not only mastered drone operations but is also generating employment by spraying pesticides and fertilizers on farmers' fields using drones.
Lakshmi, a 12th-grade pass-out, joined the Self-Help Group (SHG) formed under the Haryana State Rural Livelihood Mission about a decade ago. She received the opportunity to undergo drone pilot training under the 'Drone Didi' scheme in January 2024. After completing the training, she received an agricultural drone from Garuda Aerospace.
Speaking to IANS, she explained how she took on the momentous task of spraying fields not just in her village but also in adjoining ones, and how she enjoyed it.
She explained that a task which previously took four to five laborers an entire day to complete is now finished in about 30 to 40 minutes with the help of a drone. This saves both time and money for the farmers.
Sharing how the drone didi scheme is generating income for drone operators like her, she said that she earned ₹60,000 in 2025 and has earned around ₹75,000 so far in 2026. She said drone training and the resulting employment have strengthened her financial position and given her a new identity in society.
Sharing her experience, Lakshmi noted that she previously had no fixed source of income and her world was confined to her home.
After receiving drone training and beginning spraying operations in the fields, people in neighboring villages started calling her "Drone Didi."
This boosted her self-confidence and allowed her to contribute financially to her family's needs.
She remarked that the "Drone Didi" scheme has not only provided her with employment but also instilled self-confidence and earned her respect in society.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Haryana administration, she voiced confidence that modern technology is bringing instrumental change in the lives of rural women, making them self-reliant and strengthening their financial standing.
--IANS
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