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Punjab ‘drone didis' take flight, enter new era of agri-tech empowerment
Trained as drone pilots under the Centre's project NAMO Drone Didis to spray pesticides and fertilisers in fields using unmanned flying devices, enterprising rural women of Punjab have started earning from the ambitious venture. Drone Didi Amanjot Kaut of Chathewala village in Bathinda sprays pesticides on paddy field on Sunday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)
A handful of women trained for the project are moving village to village to make farmers aware of the benefits of using drones for spraying pesticides and fertilizers, and see a wide potential to improve their economic conditions.
Replying to a query by Lok Sabha MP Parshottambhai Rupala in July, the Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers' welfare, Ramnath Thakur, stated that of the 14,500 drones approved under the central scheme, a total of 1,021 have been allocated to Punjab, the highest among the northern Indian states.
A 21-year-old entrepreneur from Chathewala village in Bathinda, Amanjot Kaur, said that she earned ₹1.75 lakh in the last seven months by working as a drone pilot.
'After the demise of my father, I could not pursue my studies after class 12. We have leased a small agricultural landholding. As I was enrolled with a self-help group (SHG), where I learnt about the Drone Didi project, I was soon selected for the scheme. After a 15-day training, I was given a drone, a three-wheeled e-scooter, and a power generator worth ₹12 lakh for free to start work independently,' she said.
The cost of insecticides/pesticides to be sprayed is borne by the farmer, while the Drone Didis charge ₹200-300 per acre.
'A graduate could barely earn ₹15,000 in small towns while working in an unorganised sector, whereas the Drone Didi has enabled the rural women to grab the opportunity to earn in the sector, which has an immense scope in the coming few years,' Amanjot added.
Another entrepreneur from Messigan village in Patiala, Kulwinder Kaur, proudly introduces herself as the only Drone Didi pilot in the revenue block of Bhuner Heri in Patiala district (PLX CHECK).
'In 2024, I sprayed farm chemicals on 448 acres, while this year I have already covered 265 acres of maize, sunflower, and fodder. Paddy crop has hit the growing stage, and soon the fields will require pest and nutrition management. I have already covered 265 acres and hope to get work for at least twofold acreage in kharif crop,' she added.
For Drone Didi Simranjit Kaur, from Marewal in Ludhiana, the centre's initiative has opened a path for women to work in fields with modern technology.
She is providing the service commercially and moving from village to village to make farmers aware of the benefits of new technology for spraying farm chemicals.
A 25-year-old, Simranjit, who holds an MSc degree in physics and works in the village to promote best farm practices, says it was a proud moment to be part of the handful of Punjabi women who got training in flying drones to meet the new-age demands of the agriculture sector.
'A drone takes seven minutes to complete a farm chemical spraying exercise on two acres. I feel that the authorities should start training the co-pilots to enhance work capacity to meet the growing demand,' adds Simranjit, who has set a target for 2025 to cover more than 320 acres, achieved by her last year.
A resident of Chak Sahu in Faridkot, Rajveer Kaur, says the unmanned vehicle has the potential to change the agricultural scenario.
'Farmers' hesitancy for a new technology is understandable, and I was able to dispel their doubts through demonstration. The authorities should double the water tank capacity of 10 litres to win the confidence of farmers that their crops get adequate farm chemicals. Last year, I covered about 60 acres for the first time, but this time, bookings are fewer due to reluctance among farmers about the new technology. But I am confident that people will soon accept the use of drones in agriculture, which would further empower womenfolk in the sector that was dominated by men,' she says
