Women Pilots Redefine Farming With Drones
A group of determined women in Varanasi is transforming agriculture by embracing drone technology and farming with drone, proving that innovation and empowerment. They go hand in hand.
At the edge of a vast wheat field in Mehandi Ganj, 15 km from Varanasi, Neetu Singh, a mother of three, skillfully maneuvers a drone to spray nano urea over the crops. This once-unfamiliar sight has now become a game-changer in local farming, slashing labor time, boosting earnings, and fostering independence.
Initially, farmers were skeptical. The idFarmers were initially skeptical about risky, but persistence paid off. etu and Asha Devi, another drone pilot from Harahua, gradually won their trust. The result? Faster, more efficient crop spraying and a reliable source of income.
Neetu now covers an acre in just 10 minutes by farming with drone—work that used to take hours manually. Farmers, who once hesitated, now call her directly for services. Sheearns ₹300 per acre for nano urea spraying and ₹200 per beegha, making ₹75,000 in a single season, by growing 300 acres. Asha, working in smaller farming communities, has earned ₹20,000 in a few months.
The breakthrough came through the Namo Drone Didi scheme, launched to equip women-led self-help groups (SHGs) with drone technology for farming with drone. In March 2024, nine women from Varanasi trained in Prayagraj to become certified drone operators. Today, they are not just farmers but tech-driven entrepreneurs.
However, challenges remain. Asha points out that small farmers are yet to adopt drone spraying widely. She believes a government-led awareness campaign could help spread the word about its benefits, encouraging more farmers to adopt this time-saving technology.
These Drone Didis, including Manju Prasad, Urmila Devi, Anita Devi, and others, are pioneers in a new wave of agri-tech. Thanks to the support of Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL) and IFFCO, who provided drones free of cost, they are revolutionizing farming with drone.
About The Scheme: Farming With Drone
The Namo Drone Didi initiative aims to provide 15,000 women from SHGs with drones between 2024 and 2026, enabling them to spray fertilizers and pesticides while generating an additional income of at least ₹1 lakh per year. This move empowers rural women and paves the way for a more sustainable and efficient agricultural sector.
With confidence soaring as high as their drones, these women are leading a quiet revolution—one acre at a time.
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