As Navratri lights up Gujarat with celebrations of devotion and women’s strength, the festival spotlights real-life empowerment happening right in the farmlands. Women across the state are revolutionizing agriculture through drone technology, thanks to the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana. The Gujarat government highlights how this initiative turns rural women into tech-savvy farmers, blending tradition with modern innovation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana in 2023 to equip women-led self-help groups with drones. These tools help them spray pesticides and handle crops more efficiently, cutting down on manual labor and boosting farm yields. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has driven its success in Gujarat, making it a shining example of women’s economic independence and rural tech adoption.
The program ties into the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission. It slashes labor costs, ramps up productivity, and opens fresh income sources for women trained as drone pilots and technicians. Today, these “Drone Didis” lead the charge, bringing high-tech solutions straight to the fields.
Take Sonalben Pambhar, a 33-year-old from Nanavada village in Rajkot. Once a stay-at-home mom, she trained in Pune and Rajkot to earn her drone operator certification. On June 10, 2024, she flew her first mission, spraying pesticides on cotton and groundnut fields. In just a year, Sonalben served 1,740 farmers, covering crops like soybean, pigeon pea, chickpea, and peas. Her hard work paid off big—she earned over Rs 15.38 lakh and became a “Lakhpati Didi.”
“This scheme changed my life,” Sonalben says. “I have a new identity in my community, and my family’s life is much better now.” She credits the Mission Mangalam department and Prime Minister Modi for the opportunity.
In Varsada village, Banaskantha district, 29-year-old Bhavnaben Choudhary shares a similar story. With a bachelor’s degree, she discovered drones through her local Sakhi Mandal under the Rural Livelihood Mission. After a 15-day training at Indus University in Ahmedabad, she got her pilot license and started working on nearby farms.
Now, Bhavnaben pulls in more than Rs 50,000 a month spraying pesticides. “I never dreamed I’d be flying drones over fields,” she says. “This has given me independence and real respect in my village.”
The NaMo Drone Didi Yojana is transforming Gujarat’s rural economy one flight at a time. Women who once had limited tech access now master advanced drones, build steady livelihoods, and inspire others. Beyond the money, it builds confidence and creates role models, aligning with India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. As Navratri continues, these Drone Didis show how women’s empowerment takes flight in everyday ways.
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