India's Namo Drone Didi scheme gives agricultural drones to women's self-help groups

According to a Press Information Bureau document dated 4 November 2024, Namo Drone Didi is a central sector scheme to provide drones to 15,000 selected women self-help groups from 2024-25 to 2025-26, so they can rent drone services to farmers for applying liquid fertilisers and pesticides.

The document states that groups receive assistance covering 80% of the drone and accessory costs, up to Rs 8 lakh, and may seek loans for the rest. One qualified member of each group is to receive 15 days of training, including 5 days of mandatory drone pilot training. MediaNama, reporting a written reply by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to the Lok Sabha, states that lead fertiliser companies distributed 1,094 drones to women self-help groups in 2023-24 from their own resources, of which 500 were under the Namo Drone Didi scheme. The sources do not report area sprayed or effects on farm incomes.