From Rural Villages to the Skies: Haryana’s Drone Didi Programme Begins First Training Batch

Haryana’s push to build a women-led agri-tech workforce has officially taken flight. The state’s ambitious Drone Didi initiative, designed to equip rural women with drone-based agricultural skills, has started its first training batch at the Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA) in Karnal.

The programme, which aims to eventually train 5,000 women from 500 Self-Help Groups (SHGs), has opened with 36 women from Karnal and Kurukshetra, split into two groups of 18. These trainees are undergoing a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved curriculum that covers drone operation, maintenance, safety, battery management, navigation and troubleshooting. They also receive practical training on agriculture drones, including field sessions on spraying pesticides, fertilisers, nano urea and liquid nutrients.

DRIISHYA has expanded its facilities for the programme and now operates nearly 60 drones, with newly purchased units dedicated specifically to training and high-tension line inspections. The organisation has prior experience training farmers and has additional DGCA-approved flying grounds to meet rising demand.

Once training is complete, each SHG will receive one drone free of cost. Women who wish to purchase their own drone will also receive subsidy support, ensuring they can begin providing agricultural spraying services in their villages immediately.

Eligibility for the programme requires women to have passed matric, be part of an SHG and possess a valid medical fitness certificate.

With its first batch already in motion, the Drone Didi initiative marks a significant step toward modernising agriculture while opening new livelihood avenues for rural women across Haryana.