Explained: Why Indian PM Modi wants to give drones to rural women

Guwahati: Drone sales across the country are set to skyrocket as the prime minister officially launched an initiative to equip women in rural areas with 15,000 drones.

The move, with an outlay of Rs 1,261 crore ($151 million), was approved by the union cabinet on November 29. As per the government scheme, 15,000 drones will be handed out to women's self-help groups (SHGs) over the next 3 years.

Following the news, stocks of drone maker Droneacharya Aerial Innovations rose nearly 4 percent, while Ideaforge Technology rose by 3 percent, and Info Edge, which is part owner of Skylark Drones, was up by about 0.3 percent.

This development comes in the wake of a promise made by the Prime Minister during the 77th Independence Day celebration earlier this year. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi announced the launch of a scheme under which women in around 15,000 self-help groups (SHGs) would be trained to fly and repair drones.

According to the prime minister, this would increase the use of drones in agriculture and boost the rural economy, while empowering women at the same time. He observed that “women-led development” would take the country forward and said it was his dream to see 20 million women become “lakhpati didis.”

Months after making these observations, the Prime Minister, on November 30, inaugurated the Mahila Kisan Drone Kendra initiative. “The scheme will enable women farmers to use drones for crop monitoring, pest control, soil testing, and irrigation”, the prime minister said, announcing the programme during a video conference. He added that the scheme will also enhance the productivity and income of women farmers and make them self-reliant.

“The scheme will help to infuse advanced technology in agriculture for improved efficiency, enhance crop yield and reduced cost of operation for the benefit of farmers”, the prime minister’s office noted in a release yesterday.

The move comes at a time when India is incentivizing the usage of drones to boost agricultural productivity and improve crop management. On December 16, 2022, the ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare said it had released Rs 52 crore to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the large-scale demonstration of drone technology in farmers’ fields across India. The ICAR has established a Centre for Precision and Farming Technologies, which is focused on promoting precision agriculture technologies, including drones.