Drone Didi Yojana: How PDRL is Empowering Women with Indigenous Innovation
The Namo Drone Didi (Drone Didi Yojana) aims to put agricultural drone capability into the hands of thousands of women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), transforming rural livelihoods while accelerating adoption of precision Agri-tech across the country. PDRL (Passenger Drone Research Ltd.) a homegrown drone-tech company that builds hardware + software solutions such as the Ag++ Flight controller and leading GCS Software, is positioning itself to be a technology and services partner for this mission.
What is the Drone Didi Yojana?
- The Government has approved the “Namo Drone Didi” program to provide 15,000 drones to selected women SHGs over the 2023–24 to 2025–26 period, with an outlay of ≈₹1,261 crore. The objectives: bring advanced Agri-drone tech to farmers, improve yields and reduce costs, and empower SHGs as drone-service providers.
- The scheme is being rolled out through agricultural extension channels (e.g., Krishi Vigyan Kendras) and state pilots; training and certification (DGCA’s Remote Pilot Certificate / NSDC recognized courses) are part of the implementation picture. Subsidy support and loan structures are also being used to keep the capital barrier low for SHGs.
Why this scheme matters?
- Women’s livelihoods: Converts women SHGs into income-generating service providers.
- Scale for the drone industry: Guaranteed demand for thousands of Agri-drones helps domestic manufacturers and service providers survive and scale.
- Agricultural impact: Faster, precise spraying and input application reduces input wastage, labour dependency, and exposure to chemicals.
The gaps & risks, where support is needed?
- Appropriate hardware: Farmers and SHGs need reliable, easy-to-maintain, India-tuned drones and drone components (easy spares, local language interfaces, etc).
- After-sales & uptime: Rural operations require quick service, field-repair capabilities, and local spares inventory.
- Training & quality assurance: Beyond initial RC/remote-pilot certification, SHGs need recurring refresher training, SOPs for safe spraying, and agronomy support.
- Affordability & financing: Even with subsidies, last-mile financing and predictable revenue models for SHGs are essential.
- Data & compliance: Logging flights, pesticide records, and crop maps made simple and local-language will drive farmer trust and regulatory compliance.
These are the problem spaces where a coordinated industry partner can make the scheme durable and successful.
How PDRL plans to contribute?
At PDRL, we believe that true empowerment comes from giving people not just machines, but an ecosystem that makes those machines intelligent, efficient, and easy to use. Under the Drone Didi Yojana, we aim to strengthen women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with a complete indigenous drone technology stack from flight controller to fleet management and service delivery all designed, developed, and made in India.
1. Ag++ Flight Controller
The Ag++ Flight Controller is the core of PDRL’s agricultural drone ecosystem. Built with a deep understanding of India’s Agri-operating conditions temperature extremes, dust, humidity, and terrain diversity, Ag++ ensures stability, reliability, and precision across every flight.
- Precision in every drop: Smart algorithms optimize spraying efficiency and ensure uniform coverage across varied crop types.
- Safety and simplicity: Intuitive controls make it easier for new Drone Didis to operate drones confidently with minimal training.
- Indigenous innovation: Ag++ is designed, developed, and manufactured in India aligning perfectly with the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and “Made-in-India Drones for Indian Fields” vision.
2. NamoAG (Navigation for Modern Agriculture)
Empowering SHGs requires not only drones but also intelligence on where and how to fly them. NamoAG (Navigation for Modern Agriculture) acts as a smart navigation layer that helps Drone Didis plan and execute field operations with precision.
3. AeroGCS Enterprise — Fleet Management for the Drone Didi Network
As SHGs expand operations, fleet coordination becomes critical. AeroGCS Enterprise provides a scalable management platform that simplifies fleet tracking, flight logs, and maintenance mode and more all from a single dashboard.
4. BhuMeet – Connecting Drone Didis to Farmers and the Market
To make Drone Didi Yojana commercially viable, SHGs need continuous access to customers and service demand. BhuMeet acts as the bridge between drone operators and farmers an online marketplace for booking, scheduling, and managing drone services.
Together, Building the Drone Didi Ecosystem
Through the integration of Ag++, NamoAG, AeroGCS Enterprise, and BhuMeet, PDRL is not just supplying dronetech products, it’s creating a digital backbone for the Drone Didi Yojana.
Each element plays a vital role:
- Ag++ ensures reliable flight performance.
- NamoAG brings precision navigation to every field.
- AeroGCS Enterprise manages the growing drone network.
- BhuMeet connects Drone Didis to real market opportunities.
This India-first technology stack embodies the spirit of self-reliance and inclusivity enabling women to lead India’s agricultural transformation from the ground up (and above it).