Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India (under DAY-NRLM)
Namo Drone Didi Yojana 2026: 80% Subsidy, Rs. 15,000/Month
Objective
Provide agricultural drones to 15,000 Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) to enable them to offer drone-based fertiliser and pesticide spraying services to farmers, creating a sustainable income source for rural women.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) registered under DAY-NRLM are eligible. Not individuals
- The SHG must be active and engaged in or linked to agricultural activities
- From the SHG, one woman aged 18-50 years (minimum 10th pass) is selected for 15-day drone pilot training
- A second member or family member of the SHG is trained as a drone assistant (for minor repairs and maintenance)
- Priority given to SHGs in major farming regions
Benefits & Features
- 1One agricultural drone provided per selected SHG. Government covers 80% cost (up to ₹8 lakh)
- 2SHG pays only 20% of drone cost (can be financed through loan. No upfront burden)
- 315-day training program covering drone flying, agriculture use, safety, and minor repairs
- 4SHG can provide drone spraying services to local farmers and charge a service fee
- 5Trained drone pilot earns approximately ₹15,000 per month from spraying services
- 6Total financial assistance per SHG: up to ₹10 lakh (drone + accessories + training)
Required Documents
- SHG registration certificate under DAY-NRLM
- SHG passbook and bank account details
- Aadhaar card of selected drone pilot member
- 10th pass certificate of the woman selected for pilot training
- SHG resolution (meeting minutes) nominating the drone pilot member
How to Apply
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is Namo Drone Didi Yojana in one sentence? | Namo Drone Didi is a Central Sector Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet on 28 November 2023 that gives DAY-NRLM registered women's Self-Help Groups an 80% subsidy (up to Rs. 8 lakh per drone) to acquire agricultural drones, train pilots, and earn rental income by offering pesticide and nano-fertiliser spraying services to farmers, with 15,000 drones targeted across FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 and 3,000 more in FY 2026-27. |
| Who can apply for Namo Drone Didi Yojana? | Only DAY-NRLM registered women's Self-Help Groups, not individual women. The SHG must be active for at least 6 months, located in a region with cropping activity, and select one member as the pilot (aged 18 to 50, Class 10 pass, medically fit) and one member as the assistant. Individual applications are not accepted. |
| How much can a Drone Didi earn per month? | Typical first-year net earning is Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month after loan and cost servicing. Peak years (Year 3 onwards, after CLF loan clearance) can cross Rs. 30,000 per month. Aspirational gross at Rs. 400 per acre times 20 acres per day times 200 operational days is Rs. 16 lakh per year, but this requires securing consistent spraying contracts. |
| What does the drone package include? | One agricultural drone with 10 to 12 kg payload, spray assembly with interchangeable nozzles, 4 spare batteries, dual-channel charger, spare propeller set, anemometer, pH meter, downward camera, hardshell carrying box, 2-year comprehensive insurance, 2-year Annual Maintenance Contract, 1-year manufacturer warranty, 15-day DGCA-certified pilot training, 5-day assistant training, and a nano-fertiliser starter kit. |
| How does the 80% subsidy work with the 20% balance loan? | The Central Financial Assistance covers 80% of the drone package cost, capped at Rs. 8 lakh. The balance 20% is raised by the Cluster-Level Federation as a loan from the Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) with a 3% central interest subvention, making the effective rate around 5% to 6% per annum. For a Rs. 10 lakh drone package, the CLF loan is Rs. 2 lakh with a monthly EMI of roughly Rs. 3,867 over 5 years. |
| Do I need a DGCA license to fly the drone? | Yes. The nominated pilot completes 15-day training at a DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO), ending in a Remote Pilot Certificate valid for 10 years and renewable. Without this certificate, agricultural drone spraying is legally not permitted. Training is fully funded under the scheme with a Rs. 500 per day stipend during training days. |
| Is Class 10 pass mandatory for the Drone Didi pilot? | Yes. The nominated SHG pilot must be 18 to 50 years old and have a verified Class 10 (SSC) pass certificate. Medical fitness certificate from a registered practitioner is also required. These eligibility gates are set to ensure the pilot can absorb DGCA training material and safely operate the drone. |
| How much did Namo Drone Didi get in Union Budget 2026-27? | Rs. 676.85 crore Budget Estimate for FY 2026-27, a seven-fold increase over the Rs. 100 crore Revised Estimate of FY 2025-26, per Statement 13 of the Expenditure Profile 2026-27 (indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/stat13.pdf). The FY 2026-27 output target is 3,000 additional drones supplied and 2,500 women trained as certified drone pilots. |
| Is Namo Drone Didi still active after March 2026? | Yes. Although the original Rs. 1,261 crore outlay covered FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26, Union Budget 2026-27 allocated a fresh Rs. 676.85 crore Budget Estimate for the scheme, signalling de facto continuation into FY 2026-27. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has not published a formal extension notification but the Budget line is confirmation of continued funding. |
| How does Namo Drone Didi connect with Lakhpati Didi Yojana? | Namo Drone Didi is one of the highest-earning livelihood ladders inside the Lakhpati Didi mission target. A trained Drone Didi earning Rs. 15,000 per month easily crosses the Rs. 1 lakh annual income threshold for Lakhpati Didi certification, positioning her for the Rs. 5 lakh Lakhpati Didi 2.0 interest-free loan announced in Union Budget 2026-27 via the LokOS app. |
| What are the battery and servicing challenges Drone Didis face? | Battery is the biggest bottleneck. Each drone carries 4 spare batteries with 300 to 500 charge-cycle life (6 to 9 months of use). When a battery fails, replacement requires shipping from the OEM's regional service centre. Field reports from MP (feminisminindia.com June 2026) document Drone Didis traveling 40 to 50 km to service points and waiting 5 to 10 days for replacements, translating to Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 80,000 in lost revenue per incident during peak season. |
| Which states lead in Namo Drone Didi deployment? | Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra lead on drones distributed and pilots trained. Madhya Pradesh has an absorption gap (89 delivered against 1,066 allocated as of mid-2026 per feminisminindia.com and thebridgechronicle.com). Northeast and hilly-terrain states have very limited deployment due to DGCA restrictions and terrain issues. |
Official Portal & Helpline
Get instant scheme updates. Join our channels:
What Namo Drone Didi Yojana is in 2026
Namo Drone Didi is a Central Sector Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet on 28 November 2023 and launched by PM Modi on 30 November 2023 to give women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) an 80% central subsidy (up to Rs. 8 lakh per drone) to acquire agricultural drones, train pilots, and earn rental income by offering pesticide and nano-fertiliser spraying services to farmers. The scheme's original Rs. 1,261 crore outlay covers FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 with a distribution target of 15,000 drones to SHGs across India, per PIB PRID 2244648 (Feb 2026).
In Union Budget 2026-27 (Statement 13 of the Expenditure Profile, indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/stat13.pdf), the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare allocated Rs. 676.85 crore Budget Estimate for the scheme, a sharp seven-fold increase over the FY 2025-26 Revised Estimate of Rs. 100 crore. The FY 2026-27 output-outcome target is 3,000 additional drones supplied and 2,500 women trained as certified drone pilots. The scheme is classified under Gender Budget Part A (100% women beneficiary allocation).
The scheme sits inside the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with implementation support from the Ministry of Rural Development's DAY-NRLM SHG ecosystem and drone-industry partners. Each Drone Didi is a member of a DAY-NRLM registered SHG and receives training, drone, spray equipment, and insurance. She earns rental income by hiring out spraying services to farmers in her cluster.
Namo Drone Didi is one of the highest-earning livelihood ladders inside the broader Lakhpati Didi mission target. A trained Drone Didi with steady spraying contracts can earn Rs. 15,000 per month or more, comfortably crossing the Rs. 1 lakh annual income threshold for Lakhpati Didi certification. This convergence is deliberate: the same SHG woman who becomes a Drone Didi also gets certified as a Lakhpati Didi through the LokOS app, unlocking the Rs. 5 lakh Lakhpati Didi 2.0 enterprise loan for further expansion.
Scheme outlay and Union Budget allocation FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27
The Union government has committed Rs. 1,261 crore to Namo Drone Didi across FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26, with a fresh Union Budget 2026-27 allocation of Rs. 676.85 crore signalling continued expansion into FY 2026-27.
| Fiscal year | Budget Estimate (Rs. crore) | Revised Estimate (Rs. crore) | Actuals (Rs. crore) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2023-24 | Original outlay Rs. 1,261 cr distributed across 3 years | Roughly first-year absorption low | Not separately reported | PIB PRID 2070029 |
| FY 2024-25 | Part of Rs. 1,261 cr envelope | Not published cleanly | Rs. 1.48 crore actuals | Budget Expenditure Profile 2026-27 |
| FY 2025-26 | Rs. 950.85 crore | Rs. 100.00 crore | Under audit | Budget Expenditure Profile 2026-27, Statement 13 |
| FY 2026-27 | Rs. 676.85 crore | Not yet revised | Not yet reported | Budget Expenditure Profile 2026-27, Statement 13 |
The FY 2025-26 story is important. The Budget Estimate of Rs. 950.85 crore was revised downward to Rs. 100 crore during the year. This sharp cut signals a deployment bottleneck (drone supply chain, DGCA training capacity, or state-level absorption) rather than a de-funding of the scheme itself. The FY 2026-27 BE of Rs. 676.85 crore is a course-correction that assumes the absorption issues will be resolved in time to distribute the 3,000-drone target.
For an applicant SHG, the practical takeaway: budget headroom exists, distribution priority in FY 2026-27 will go to states that can absorb quickly (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra). SHGs in states with slower FY 2025-26 absorption (Madhya Pradesh, Bihar) may face longer waits for drone delivery.
Drone package: what a Drone Didi actually receives
The Namo Drone Didi package (per Operational Guidelines PIB PRID 2070029, Dec 2023) has 15 components delivered against the 80% central subsidy.
| Component | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural drone (payload 10 to 12 kg) | 1 | Approved by DGCA and empanelled drone OEM |
| Spray assembly (nozzles + pump + tank) | 1 set | Interchangeable nozzle set for pesticide + nano fertiliser + herbicide |
| Battery | 4 spare | Standard lithium-polymer, average life 300 to 500 charge cycles |
| Dual-channel charger | 1 | Fast charging both battery packs simultaneously |
| Spare propeller set | 1 set (typically 4 pairs) | Consumable, replaced every 40 to 60 flight hours |
| Anemometer | 1 | Wind-speed check before spraying |
| pH meter | 1 | Solution pH check to prevent nozzle corrosion |
| Downward camera | 1 | Real-time view, geo-tagging of sprayed area |
| Carrying box (hardshell) | 1 | Transport and monsoon-proof storage |
| Insurance | 2-year comprehensive | Covers accidental damage, theft, third-party liability |
| Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) | 2 years included | OEM-authorised service and parts |
| Warranty on drone | 1 year (extendable) | Manufacturing defect coverage |
| 15-day pilot training | 1 SHG member | DGCA RPTO (Remote Pilot Training Organisation) certified |
| 5-day assistant training | 1 SHG member (typically family) | Minor repairs, battery swap, ground handling |
| Nano-fertiliser starter kit | 1 (typically IFFCO-supplied) | For initial spraying operations |
The 20% balance of the drone package cost is raised by the Cluster-Level Federation as a loan from the Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) with a 3% central interest subvention, making the effective loan rate around 5% to 6% per annum for the CLF.
Package composition may vary slightly by empanelled drone OEM (drones from IoTechWorld, Garuda Aerospace, and other DGCA-approved manufacturers are used across states).
Subsidy math and AIF loan for the 20% balance
Namo Drone Didi's subsidy formula: 80% Central Financial Assistance on the drone package cost, capped at Rs. 8 lakh. The balance 20% is raised as an AIF loan through the Cluster-Level Federation.
Worked example for a Rs. 10 lakh drone package:
- Total package cost: Rs. 10,00,000
- Central subsidy (80%, capped at Rs. 8 lakh): Rs. 8,00,000
- Balance to be raised by CLF: Rs. 2,00,000
- AIF loan tenure: 5 years (typical)
- AIF loan rate: approximately 9% market rate, less 3% central subvention = 6% effective
- Monthly EMI on Rs. 2,00,000 at 6% for 60 months: Rs. 3,867
- Total repayment over 5 years: Rs. 2,32,020
- Total interest paid: Rs. 32,020
- CLF absorbs EMI from Drone Didi's monthly rental collections; typical carve-out is 30% of gross rental revenue for loan servicing
For a Rs. 12 lakh package (larger drone with heavier payload), the subsidy caps at Rs. 8 lakh, so the CLF has to raise Rs. 4 lakh via AIF loan, doubling the EMI to roughly Rs. 7,734 per month. Most SHGs opt for the Rs. 10 lakh package as it fits the subsidy cap cleanly.
The Rs. 3 lakh insurance component (2-year comprehensive) is bundled and paid upfront out of the package cost.
Eligibility and who can apply
Only DAY-NRLM registered women's Self-Help Groups can apply for Namo Drone Didi. Individual applications are not accepted. The SHG must select one member as the drone pilot and one member (typically family) as the assistant.
Eligibility criteria:
- SHG type: DAY-NRLM registered women's SHG, active for at least 6 months with regular savings and meetings
- Agricultural relevance: SHG must be located in a region with cropping activity where drone spraying is commercially viable (roughly 80% of Indian districts qualify; Northeast and hilly terrain sometimes excluded)
- Selected pilot age: 18 to 50 years
- Selected pilot education: Class 10 pass (verified with SSC mark sheet)
- Physical fitness: medical fitness certificate from a registered practitioner
- SHG resolution: meeting minutes nominating the pilot and assistant
- Cluster-Level Federation endorsement: the CLF must recommend the SHG based on the region's demand for drone spraying
Documents to submit through the CLF to the district DAY-NRLM office:
- SHG registration certificate under DAY-NRLM
- SHG passbook (last 6 months of savings and meeting attendance)
- Bank account details of the SHG
- Aadhaar card of the nominated pilot and assistant
- Class 10 mark sheet of the pilot
- Medical fitness certificate
- SHG resolution nominating pilot and assistant (with signatures of all members)
Priority is given to SHGs in major farming regions (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra), states with active nano-fertiliser rollout, and SHGs with existing exposure to agricultural extension services.
How to apply on the Namo Drone Didi portal
Applications flow through the State Rural Livelihoods Mission and are not individual online submissions. The step-by-step application process:
- CLF meeting: Your Cluster-Level Federation identifies interested SHGs in its cluster and discusses the drone livelihood option with each nominated pilot candidate.
- SHG resolution: Your SHG passes a resolution nominating the pilot and assistant, with signatures from all members.
- BMMU submission: The CLF submits the SHG proposal to the Block Mission Management Unit (BMMU) with all documents.
- District verification: The District Mission Management Unit (DMMU) verifies the SHG's operational history, cluster demand for drone spraying, and pilot eligibility.
- State Level Committee: The State Level Committee (SLC) chaired by the State Rural Livelihoods Mission approves the shortlist for drone allocation.
- LFC procurement: The Lead Fertiliser Cooperative (LFC) in the region places the drone order with the empanelled OEM.
- DGCA training: The nominated pilot undergoes 15-day training at a DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation.
- Drone delivery and CLF handover: The drone is delivered to the CLF; the CLF hands over operations to the SHG under the ownership-service arrangement.
- Field operations begin: The Drone Didi starts commercial spraying with insurance cover active from day one.
For information: namodronedidi.da.gov.in (official portal), lakhpatididi.gov.in/power_to_empower/namo-drone-didi (convergence page), and your State Rural Livelihoods Mission website.
Median timeline from SHG resolution to drone delivery: 6 to 12 months in the fastest states, 15 to 24 months in slower-absorption states.
DGCA training and Remote Pilot Certificate
Training happens at a DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) over 15 days for the pilot and 5 days for the assistant, ending in a Remote Pilot Certificate that legally permits agricultural drone operations.
Training curriculum:
- Day 1-3: Drone theory, regulations, weather, spray economics, safety
- Day 4-6: Simulator training on drone controls
- Day 7-12: Live-flying practice on the SHG's own drone
- Day 13-14: Spraying operations, nozzle selection, chemical handling, PPE
- Day 15: Assessment and Remote Pilot Certificate issue
The Remote Pilot Certificate is issued by DGCA and is valid for 10 years, renewable. Without this certificate, agricultural drone spraying is legally not permitted.
The 5-day assistant training covers battery swap, minor repairs, ground handling, and emergency landing protocols. The assistant does not need a Remote Pilot Certificate but must complete the training for safe SHG operations.
Training is fully funded under the scheme (no cost to the SHG), and both trainees receive a Rs. 500 per day stipend during training days.
How much a Drone Didi earns: worked income example
A Drone Didi charging Rs. 400 per acre and spraying 20 acres per day across 200 operational days can gross Rs. 16 lakh a year. The full income-cost breakdown for a fictional Drone Didi:
Suman is a 32-year-old Drone Didi from a village in Karnal district, Haryana. She was trained in October 2025 and started commercial operations in December 2025. Her FY 2025-26 partial-year data (Dec 2025 to Mar 2026, 4 months) is scaled below to FY 2026-27 annualised figures.
| Line item | Amount (Rs. per year) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross rental (400 x 20 x 200 days) | 16,00,000 | Wheat + paddy spraying peak season |
| Less: fuel + battery replacement | 1,20,000 | 4 battery swaps per year at Rs. 30,000 each |
| Less: chemical bulk purchase | 40,000 | Reserve for last-mile chemical supply |
| Less: CLF loan EMI (30% carve-out) | 4,80,000 | Rs. 3,867 x 12 = Rs. 46,404; CLF pooled service reserve larger |
| Less: annual insurance renewal | 30,000 | After 2-yr bundled insurance ends |
| Less: helper wages (assistant + field boy) | 1,80,000 | Rs. 15,000/month combined |
| Less: farmer bad debt provision | 50,000 | Typical 3% doubtful collection |
| Net cash flow to Drone Didi | 7,00,000 | Roughly Rs. 58,333 per month |
| Effective monthly earning after 1st year loan clearance | ~Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 net | Rise as loan-service carve-out reduces |
The first-year gross of Rs. 16 lakh is aspirational and depends on securing consistent spraying contracts. Field data from FY 2024-25 shows realistic first-year averages of Rs. 8 to 12 lakh gross, translating to Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month net after loan and cost servicing. Peak earning years are Year 3 to Year 5 after the CLF loan is fully repaid; net monthly income at that stage crosses Rs. 30,000 for productive Drone Didis.
Spray rate per acre varies by crop and region. Standard rates in 2026: wheat and paddy Rs. 350 to Rs. 400 per acre, cotton Rs. 500 to Rs. 600 per acre, fruit orchards Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 per acre. Nano-fertiliser spraying (a growing use-case) fetches Rs. 500 to Rs. 700 per acre.
Convergence with Lakhpati Didi and DAY-NRLM
Namo Drone Didi is one of the highest-value livelihood ladders inside the Lakhpati Didi mission. The connection: the drone is owned by the SHG, but the trained pilot is an individual SHG member. Her monthly earning of Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 30,000 crosses the Rs. 1 lakh annual threshold for Lakhpati Didi certification with room to spare, positioning her for the Rs. 5 lakh Lakhpati Didi 2.0 interest-free loan announced in Union Budget 2026-27.
Practical convergence stack for a Drone Didi:
- Base: Namo Drone Didi (drone + training + insurance + AMC)
- Certification: Lakhpati Didi (Rs. 1 lakh income threshold crossed easily)
- SHE tier: After Rs. 3 lakh sustained annual income (typically Year 3+), she becomes eligible for Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) tier
- Rs. 5 lakh loan: LokOS-delivered Lakhpati Didi 2.0 loan for enterprise scaling (e.g., a second drone, custom hire of agri-implements, cold-chain storage for local produce)
- SHE-Mart: aggregated retail outlet at CLF level where the Drone Didi can add value-added agri produce as a side income
The convergence is enforced through the LokOS app: once a Drone Didi is certified as Lakhpati Didi, her file auto-flags for SHE-tier assessment and eligibility for the Rs. 5 lakh loan is calculated based on her demonstrated drone rental income history.
State-wise deployment as of 2026
State-wise deployment data comes from PIB Annexure-I of Cabinet-approved releases (last comprehensive snapshot Jan 2026, PIB PRID 2227743). The picture is uneven.
Top states by drones distributed under the scheme:
| State | Drones distributed (approx) | Pilots trained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | Leading (state-wise numbers vary in secondary reports) | Highest | Strong absorption + IFFCO nano-DAP pilot |
| Uttar Pradesh | High | High | Largest DAY-NRLM SHG base in India |
| Andhra Pradesh | High | High | SERP-Kudumbashree style rapid rollout |
| Maharashtra | Medium-high | Medium-high | Umed (MSRLM) coordination |
| Madhya Pradesh | 89 delivered vs 1,066 allocated (mid-2026 ground report) | Under-target | Battery + servicing bottleneck |
| Bihar | Medium | Medium | JEEViKA-linked |
| Northeast + hills | Very low | Very low | Terrain and DGCA restrictions |
The Madhya Pradesh figure (89 delivered against 1,066 allocated as of mid-2026) is the ground-reality data point that most secondary sources gloss over. It signals a materially larger gap between allocation and actual on-field deployment than the aggregate headline suggests. Sources: feminisminindia.com (4 June 2026), groundreport.in, thebridgechronicle.com.
For an SHG assessing where they fit: proximity to a fast-absorbing state, presence of a well-staffed CLF, and cluster demand for drone spraying (density of irrigated cropland) are the three practical predictors of quick drone delivery.
Ground reality: battery, servicing, and support challenges
Not everything is working perfectly. Multiple 2026 ground reports flagged real service-network gaps that the FY 2026-27 budget of Rs. 676.85 crore has not yet directly addressed.
Battery is the biggest single bottleneck. Each drone carries 4 spare batteries. Battery life is 300 to 500 charge cycles, roughly 6 to 9 months of intensive use. When a battery pack fails, replacement requires shipping from the OEM's regional service centre. Field reports from MP show Drone Didis travelling 40 to 50 km to reach the nearest servicing point and waiting 5 to 10 days for a replacement battery. During peak spraying season (July to September for kharif, February to April for rabi), this downtime translates to lost revenue of Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 80,000 per battery-failure incident.
Propeller and blade replacement wait times. Standard propeller wear is 40 to 60 flight hours. Replacements are stocked at authorised OEM service centres. Ground reports (thebridgechronicle.com) document up to 10-day waits for blade replacement in Northern MP and eastern UP.
Chemical supply chain gaps. Empanelled OEMs recommend specific spray formulations. Local availability of these formulations is patchy in tier-3 and tier-4 districts. Drone Didis often have to bulk-purchase and store chemicals, adding working capital pressure.
Farmer collection risk. Small and marginal farmers often pay 30 to 60 days after spraying, and 3% bad-debt is standard. This creates cash-flow lumpiness that first-year Drone Didis with fresh CLF loans struggle with.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressing the ICAR CSR Conclave on 15 July 2026, flagged Namo Drone Didi as a "driver of the agri-enterprise revolution" and indicated the ministry is scaling regional service centres in FY 2026-27 to reduce the battery-replacement bottleneck. Concrete rollout timelines for the expanded service network were not shared at the Conclave.
Frequently asked questions
Structured FAQ data with FAQPage JSON-LD is rendered in the FAQ block below the article. A few highlights:
How much can a Drone Didi earn per month? Typical first-year net earning is Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month after loan and cost servicing. Peak years (Year 3+) after loan clearance can cross Rs. 30,000 per month. Aspirational gross at Rs. 400 per acre x 20 acres per day x 200 days is Rs. 16 lakh per year but requires securing consistent spraying contracts.
Do I need a DGCA license? Yes. The nominated pilot completes 15-day DGCA RPTO training ending in a Remote Pilot Certificate valid for 10 years. Without this certificate, agricultural drone spraying is legally not permitted.
Is Class 10 pass mandatory? Yes for the pilot. The nominated pilot must be 18 to 50 years old with a verified Class 10 mark sheet.