Finding farm labourers to spray fertilisers and pesticides is no longer a headache for farmers in Kasaragod. Within minutes, a team of trained women known as 'Drone Didis' arrive with their unmanned aerial vehicles to complete tasks that once took days. This tech-driven transformation is being led by members of Kudumbashree, the state's poverty eradication and women empowerment mission, who have taken to the skies to revolutionise local agriculture.

A high-flying success story
Over the past two years, a dedicated group of seven Kudumbashree members has successfully sprayed fertilisers and nutrients across nearly 600 acres of farmland belonging to 228 farmers in Kasaragod. What used to be a backbreaking, time-consuming task for manual labourers is now completed in a fraction of the time with absolute precision, drastically reducing the physical burden on local farmers.

Empowering rural women through technology
This pioneering initiative is part of the central government's Namo Drone Didi scheme, designed to empower rural women by training them in agricultural drone technology. Following the resounding success of the initial phase in Kasaragod, Kudumbashree is now planning to expand the drone services to cover more agricultural areas, helping more farmers transition to modern, efficient farming practices.