Asha Rani CS, a resident of Churchugundi in Shikaripur taluk underwent training in Mysuru in January 2024. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Being one of the leading aviation hubs in the country, Karnataka also has the highest number of women self-help groups (SHGs) who have been trained as drone pilots under the ‘Namo Drone Didi Yojana’ (NDDY).
Under this initiative, 145 SHG members from the state have completed drone pilot training, the highest in the country, followed by Uttar Pradesh (128) and Andhra Pradesh (108).
In Karnataka, Koppal district tops the list with 13 SHG members, followed by Kalaburagi (12) and Mandya (11).
One of the main objectives of this scheme, apart from empowering SHGs, is to improve the efficiency of agricultural practices and increase crop yield. The success of the program breaks the stereotype that SHGs are mostly involved in the production of home products like papads and cucumbers.
Asha Rani CS of Churchugundi village in Shikaripur taluk of Shivamogga district is among those who underwent this training in Mysuru in January 2024. For the last two years, she has been operating drones to spray medicine in maize and paddy farms.
“The training also helps me financially. I also bought a drone as part of the program. In a year, about four to five months, I get a job spraying medicine in agricultural fields. Sometimes my earnings go up to ₹1,000 a month,” she said.
More than 1000 trained
A total of 1,094 SHG members have been trained as drone pilots in the country, according to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol to a question in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing budget session of Parliament.
Across India, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh ranked first with 16 member SHGs. NDDY was launched by the Central Government to provide 15,000 drones to women SHGs with an outlay of ₹1,261 crore for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
“NDDY has been approved by the government as a central sector scheme with an outlay of ₹ 1,261 crore for the period from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26. The scheme aims to provide 15,000 agricultural drones to select women SHGs,” the minister said in his reply.
He added that in 2023, 1094 drones were distributed to SHGs by fertilizer companies using their internal resources. Of these 1,094 drones, 500 were distributed under the NDDY scheme.
“All SHG members have been given training in remote pilot training organizations,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers, the drone package includes a 15-day drone pilot training for one of the SHGs members and a 5-day drone assistant training for other SHGs members/families.
(With inputs from Sathish GT of Shivamogga)
Published – 03 Apr 2026 21:38 IST
