Namo Drone Didi: How rural women in Uttar Pradesh are becoming certified drone pilots

Under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, women-led Self-Help Groups receive subsidised agricultural drones and training. Uttar Pradesh ranks second nationally in the number of women trained as Drone Didis.

Spraying fertilisers and pesticides across large fields has traditionally been labour-intensive and time-consuming. The Namo Drone Didi scheme is introducing a technology-driven alternative by putting agricultural drones in the hands of rural women through their Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

The scheme is designed not just to bring drones into agriculture, but also to create a new source of income and technical skills for women in rural communities.HOW THE SCHEME WORKS

Namo Drone Didi is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development. It targets women-led Self-Help Groups formed under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

The scheme has a total financial outlay of Rs 1,261 crore for 2023-24 to 2025-26 and aims to equip around 14,500 to 15,000 selected women SHGs with agricultural drones.

The government provides 80% Central Financial Assistance towards the cost of the drone and its accessories, subject to a maximum assistance of Rs 8 lakh per SHG.

The remaining amount can be raised as a loan through the SHG's Cluster Level Federation.

The drone package is not limited to the aircraft itself. It includes four spare battery sets, a spare propeller set, a nozzle set, a dual-channel fast charger, one year of comprehensive insurance and a two-year annual maintenance contract.

This is intended to reduce the financial and operational burden on SHGs taking up the technology.TRAINING WOMEN TO OPERATE THE DRONES

A key feature of the scheme is that women are not simply being given access to the equipment. SHG members are also trained to operate and maintain it.

Under the programme, one member of each SHG is trained as a certified drone pilot, while another is trained as a drone assistant responsible for repairs and maintenance.

The training involves a mandatory 15-day programme.

This gives participating women a technical skill that can potentially generate income beyond their existing agricultural and household work.

The pilot training also leads to a DGCA-approved drone pilot licence, giving women formal certification to operate the equipment.UTTAR PRADESH'S PROGRESS

Uttar Pradesh has emerged as one of the leading states in the rollout of the programme.

As of January 2026, a reply by the Minister of State for Rural Development in Parliament said that 1,094 drones had been distributed to women-led SHGs across the country.

Uttar Pradesh ranked second nationally, with 128 Drone Didis trained under the scheme.

Karnataka topped the list with 145, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 128. Andhra Pradesh had 108 and Haryana 102.

The numbers put Uttar Pradesh ahead of several other major states in the early rollout of the programme.A DRONE TRAINING PUSH IN PRAYAGRAJ

One of the notable training initiatives in Uttar Pradesh took place in Phulpur in Prayagraj district.

Drone manufacturer Marut Drones trained 90 women from the area as part of the scheme's rollout.

The training cohort was among the larger single-district groups reported under the programme, showing how the scheme is attempting to build a pool of trained women drone operators rather than treating the technology as something that only external operators can handle.FROM FARM WORK TO A TECHNICAL SKILL

The economic proposition behind Namo Drone Didi goes beyond replacing manual spraying.

A drone team can typically cover around 20 acres of spraying in a day, with the multiple spare battery sets included in the package helping operators keep the equipment running through the working day.

The SHGs can provide spraying services to farmers in their local areas and charge for the service, creating a potential source of income for participating women.

For farmers, the model can offer a quicker way of applying fertilisers and pesticides across their fields. For SHG members, it creates an opportunity to earn from a specialised agricultural service.

The government is therefore attempting to build a small rural service economy around the technology, with women at the centre of it.WHY THE CERTIFICATION MATTERS

The most significant part of the programme may ultimately be the skill rather than the drone itself.

A woman who becomes a certified drone pilot gains a formal technical qualification alongside the income-generating opportunity offered by the SHG.

That is particularly relevant in rural areas, where women's livelihood opportunities are often concentrated in agriculture, livestock, handicrafts and other traditional activities.

Namo Drone Didi introduces a different kind of work: operating sophisticated equipment, providing a service to farmers and potentially managing a technology-based rural enterprise.

Uttar Pradesh's 128 trained Drone Didis, as of January 2026, represent an early stage of that transition.

With the national programme targeting up to 15,000 women SHGs, the larger test will be whether these drones can move from being subsidised equipment to sustainable businesses, and whether the women trained to operate them can turn a government-supported technology programme into a dependable source of rural income.- EndsPublished By: Tanu jainPublished On: Sep 11, 2026 17:45 IST