Lok Sabha Question No. 2655 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Support to SHGs under Namo Drone Didi Scheme
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Pushpendra Saroj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2655

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  AUGUST 2025

## SUPPORT TO SHGs UNDER NAMO DRONE DIDI SCHEME

2655.  SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) trained and provided with drones under the Namo Drone Didi scheme in Uttar Pradesh since its inception, along with the utilization rates of these drones district-wise;
- (b) the average monthly income generated by these SHGs through drone rental services to farmers in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the district of Mainpuri;
- (c) the number of small and marginal farmers who have availed these services, along with the details of cost savings and yield improvements achieved district-wise; and
- (d) the specific  measures  undertaken  to address  reported challenges such  as substandard  drone  batteries,  lack  of  timely  maintenance  support,  insufficient  farmer demand, gaps in post- training handholding and business facilitation for the 'Drone Didis', with the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): The Government has approved 'Namo Drone Didi' as Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs. 1261 Crores for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26.  The major objectives of the scheme is to promote advance technology in agriculture for improved efficiency, enhanced crop yield & reduced cost  of  operation  and  to  empower SHGs as drone service providers for increasing their income and providing livelihood support to them.  Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs) have distributed 1094 drones to drone didis of SHGs in 2023-24 using their internal resources. Out of these 1094 drones, 500 drones have been distributed under the Namo Drone Didi Scheme.

The  district-wise  allocation  is  made  by  the  State  Governments  and  as  per  the information provided by the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM), 114 drones have been provided to the drone didis of the State of Uttar Pradesh and the districtwise details are placed at Annexure-I. These drones on an average are used for seven months  across  the  year.  Specific  district-wise  details  of  month-wise  utilization  of  these drones  is  not  maintained  by  UPSRLM.  Four  drones  are  provided  to  the  drone  didis  of Mainpuri district and as informed by UPSRLM, their additional annual income from drone services is Rs. 1.00 lakhs.

(d):  The  drones  under  the  Namo  Drone  Didi  scheme  are provided  as  a  package  which include basic  drone with spray assembly for spraying liquid fertilizers and pesticides,  Drone carrying  box,  standard  battery  set,  downward  facing  camera,  dual-channel  fast  battery charger,  battery charger hub, anemometer, pH meter and 1 year onsite warranty on all items. The package also includes 04 spare battery sets, one spare propeller set (each set contains 6 propellers), nozzle set, dual channel fast battery charger, battery charger hub, one year comprehensive insurance, 2 years annual maintenance contract and applicable GST.  15  days  training  for  one  of  the  members  of  SHGs  and  5  days  training  to  other member/family member of SHGs is provided as a part of drone package.

The  Committee  at State level with  members  drawn  from  Department  of Agriculture/Agricultural  Engineering  of  the  State,  Rural  Development,  State  Mission Directorate  of  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana - National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAYNRLM), State Cooperative Department, Lead Banks/ National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD), representatives of Lead Fertilizer Company (LFC) nominated for the  state,  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)/State  Agricultural  Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) is responsible for selection of appropriate clusters for drone usage, selection of the progressive women SHGs under DAY - NRLM in the States in the identified clusters for providing drones, selection of members of the women SHGs for drone  pilot  and  drone  assistant  training,  assessment  of  district-wise  drone  usage, identification of existing gap,  availability  and  future  requirements  of  drone  usage, providing/ensuring business to selected Women SHGs in coordination with the LFCs and Pesticide companies etc. To address the drone transport issue, a provision has been made under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) to provide financial assistance @ 80% to the Women SHGs identified under Namo Drone Didi scheme for purchase of Multi-utility machines, which are also used as drone transport.

District-wise number of women SHGs in Uttar Pradesh who have been provided drones by the Lead Fertilizer Companies

|   S. No. | Name of District   |   No. of SHGs provided with the Drones by LFCs |
|----------|--------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Agra               |                                              3 |
|        2 | Aligarh            |                                              2 |
|        3 | Ambedkar Nagar     |                                              2 |
|        4 | Amethi             |                                              4 |
|        5 | Ayodhya            |                                              6 |
|        6 | Badaun             |                                              1 |
|        7 | Balia              |                                              1 |
|        8 | Barabanki          |                                              4 |
|        9 | Bareili            |                                              4 |
|       10 | Basti              |                                              1 |
|       11 | Bijnore            |                                              1 |
|       12 | Bulandshahr        |                                              1 |
|       13 | Chandauli          |                                              1 |
|       14 | Deoria             |                                              2 |
|       15 | Etah               |                                              2 |
|       16 | Gonda              |                                              2 |
|       17 | Gorakhpur          |                                              7 |
|       18 | Hardoi             |                                              2 |
|       19 | Hathras            |                                              1 |
|       20 | Jalaun             |                                              1 |
|       21 | Jaunpur            |                                              4 |
|       22 | Jhansi             |                                              3 |
|       23 | Kushinagar         |                                              2 |
|       24 | Lakhimpur Kheri    |                                              3 |
|       25 | Maharajganj        |                                              2 |
|       26 | Mahoba             |                                              1 |
|       27 | Mainpuri           |                                              4 |
|       28 | Meerut             |                                              2 |
|       29 | Moradabad          |                                              3 |
|       30 | Pratapgarh         |                                              3 |
|       31 | Prayagraj          |                                             16 |
|       32 | Raebareli          |                                              2 |
|       33 | Sant Kabeer Nagar  |                                              2 |
|       34 | Shahjahanpur       |                                              3 |
|       35 | Sitapur            |                                              4 |
|       36 | Sonbhadra          |                                              1 |
|       37 | Sultanpur          |                                              1 |
|       38 | Unnao              |                                              1 |
|       39 | Varanasi           |                                              9 |

*****