So, what was the vibe of India’s agricultural landscape before 2024? India was said to be second worldwide in terms of farm output, with its agricultural sector accounting for close to 20% of its GDP in 2020. But, what about the folks who metaphorically make the tractor run? It’s said that close to 80% of India’s employed women work in agriculture, with the sector having the highest estimated female labour force participation of close to 65%.
But, these women agriculturalists might have been relegated to the most labour-intensive tasks which may have the least remuneration. And they may not even be called “farmers”, which means there might be limited access to resources, like credit, training and technology. Now, that’s something that could trap these women agriculturalists in a vicious cycle of economic vulnerability and low productivity. That might sow the seeds of despondency for these women.
No longer, though.
You’ve probably heard of drones and even seen them in action. Some of your favourite movies may have been shot using a drone, you may have seen them being used to shoot pictures at weddings and more. Could these drones be used to empower these women? What would it take to make sure their productivity and income potential don’t remain stagnant?
Can the need to formalize the status of women in agriculture be properly addressed?
Could the technology be used to change the narrative of women agriculturalists from “labourers” to “agri-tech service providers”? The new term sounds way cooler. But, hopefully, the duties don’t stay the same.
In November 2024, Indian PM Narendra Modi unveiled a programme called “Namo Drone Didi” that aims to provide drones to 15,000 women SHGs (Self-Help Groups) from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026. The idea is to place cutting-edge drone tech in the hands of rural women.
Have you heard of precision farming? That’s where tech and data are used to improve the quality and productivity of soil and crops. With drones that are equipped with GPS and sensors, fertilizers and pesticides could be strategically used to create great crop yield. That way, chemicals won’t be overused, so that could not only lower costs for farmers, but could, also, help the planet.
The women selected for the programme are aptly called “Drone Didis” and they’d receive training in terms of the technical know-how of piloting drones. Plus, areas that need more or less water could be identified with drones. And there’s a community aspect as well, where there’d be a supportive network with forums and workshops to share experiences, challenges and best practices.
So, the scheme seems to be about rural women purchasing drones. There would be a subsidy of up to 80% of the drone cost with a cap of ₹800,000. For the remaining cost of the drone, loans could be availed from the AIF (Agriculture Infrastructure Fund) at a nominal interest rate of 3%. Once the women get training and procure the drones, they could earn up to ₹100,000 annually. The women could market their services to other farmers, so they’d become entrepreneurs. So, self-reliance through technology.
Of course, when the rubber would hit the road, there’d have to be a lot of focus on effectively reducing the skill gap that rural India may have. Sure, there’s smartphone and Internet penetration in India, more so during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there still might be limited exposure to technology. Probably, operating a drone is not as simple as it sounds, maybe even for the urban folks who frequently use phones and laptops. They’d have to understand the UI, have some degree of spatial awareness, figure out the mechanical upkeep and more. Plus, looking at the drone data and gleaning some agricultural insights might add an extra layer of complexity, unless there’s an AI model figuring that out. On top of that, the infrastructure has to be set up in these areas in terms of Internet access or training centres. And if there are potential malfunctions, would the training include maintenance and repair of the drones? Maybe even getting spare parts for the drones could be expensive.
The Census 2011 was around 13 years, but it outlined that 2000 farmers gave up farming daily. Assuming that trend has stayed consistent, it could mean that while the world’s food demand may be rising, the number of people in farming may be dwindling. Maybe, even the younger folks may be disengaging from farming, probably seeing it as something labour-intensive and uncool. With drones potentially becoming a stronger element of agriculture with women agriculturalists, could this make farming cool again? Could this make agriculture a viable career path resplendent with innovation?
So, what do you think? How would the Nano Drone Didi Programme play out in India?
