Lok Sabha Question No. 5085 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Applications received under Namo Drone Didi Scheme
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5085 ANSWERED ON 24/03/2026

## APPLICATIONS RECEIVED UNDER NAMO DRONE DIDI SCHEME

5085. Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether applications have been invited from Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh under the Central Government's Namo Drone Didi Scheme;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether there is a provision to provide training to the members of the Self-Help Groups before the purchase of drones; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI)

(a) to (d): The  Government  has  approved  'Namo  Drone  Didi'  as Central  Sector  Scheme  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  1261  Crores  for  the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26 for providing drones to the selected Women  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs)  for  providing  rental  services  to farmers for agriculture purpose (application of fertilizers and pesticides).

The  Committee  at  State  level    with  members  drawn  from Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Engineering of the State, Rural Development, State Mission Directorate of DeendayalAntyodayaYojana  -  National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission (DAY-NRLM),  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.

As per the information provided by the Department of Fertilizers, LFCs have distributed 500 drones to drone didis of SHGs in 2023-24. All these drone didis have been provided training at the Remote Pilot Organisations  (RPTOs)  authorised  by  Directorate  General  of  Civil Aviation  (DGCA).  The  State  wise  details  including  the  State  of Himachal Pradesh are indicated in Annexure.

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ANNEXURE ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  OF  PARTS  (a)  to  (d)  OF LOKSABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  5085  ANSWERED  ON 24.03.2026  REGARDING  "APPLICATIONS  RECEIVED  UNDER  NAMO DRONE DIDI SCHEME" State-wise details of drones distributed under Namo Drone Didi

## Scheme

| S. No.   | No. of Drones distributed by LFCs   | No. of Drones distributed by LFCs   |
|----------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|          | 1 Andhra Pradesh                    | 96                                  |
| 2        | Assam                               | 9                                   |
| 3        | Bihar                               | 5                                   |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh                        | 12                                  |
| 5        | Gujarat                             | 18                                  |
| 6        | Haryana                             | 22                                  |
| 7        | Himachal                            | 4                                   |
|          | 8 Jharkhand                         | 1                                   |
| 9        | Karnataka                           | 82                                  |
| 10       | Kerala                              | 2                                   |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh                      | 34                                  |
| 12       | Maharashtra                         | 30                                  |
| 13       | Odisha                              | 12                                  |
| 14       | Punjab                              | 23                                  |
| 15       | Rajasthan                           | 19                                  |
| 16       |                                     | 17 72                               |
| 17       | Telangana                           |                                     |
| 18       | Uttar Pradesh                       | 32                                  |
| 19       | Uttarakhand                         | 3                                   |
| 20       | West Bengal                         | 7                                   |
| Total    | Total                               | 500                                 |

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