Table of Contents
Relevance: TGPSC: Telangana Economy, Agriculture, Science and Technology.
- Prelims: SERP, DRDA, PMEGP, DGCA, PJTAU Drone Academy, AgHub, a-IDEA, AGRI UDAAN.
- Mains: Women-Led Development, Precision Agriculture, Digital Inclusion, Farm Mechanisation.
Why in News?
- Women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Telangana are becoming agricultural drone pilots and service providers.
- In Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, 35 women across 13 mandals have received training for technology-based livelihoods.
- The initiative connects women’s entrepreneurship with the State’s wider adoption of drones, AI and smart farming.
Financial and Institutional Support
- Training Partnerships: The DRDA, Hetero and MIRAI support training and enterprise development. Around 50 people were also trained in Nalgonda.
- Business Assistance: Trainees receive support for farmer mobilisation, demonstrations, customer acquisition, scheduling and maintenance services.
- PMEGP Finance: Officials are helping eligible applicants access the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, with subsidies of up to 35%, subject to eligibility.
- SERP Support: The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty plans to train more women from agricultural families. SHGs have also entered the solar sector under Indira Mahila Shakti.
However, 53 SHG members trained in Sangareddy in May 2025 were reportedly still awaiting drones, showing a gap between training and deployment.
| Women as Drone Entrepreneurs
Agricultural drones enable women to provide paid spraying services to farmers, expanding SHG activities beyond savings, credit and traditional enterprises. U. Sandhya, a 33-year-old farmer from Motakondur, completed 10 days of training with institutional support. She received a ₹7.90 lakh drone unit, including a battery-operated transport vehicle, on August 15, 2026. Her family cultivates 15 acres, including two acres of owned land. At the time of reporting, she was awaiting her Remote Pilot Certificate and preparing to offer services commercially |
Telangana’s Digital Agriculture Ecosystem
Policy Support
- The IT&C Policy, 2016, identified emerging technologies as development priorities. An Emerging Technologies Wing followed in 2018, and a specialised Digital Agriculture Wing was subsequently established.
- Farmers are increasingly using digital tools for weather forecasts, crop information, market prices, land measurement and remotely operated irrigation.
Research and Training
At PJTAU, Rajendranagar, the Centre for Digital Agriculture and Technology uses AI, IoT, GIS, remote sensing, drones and robotics.
- PJTAU Drone Academy has trained 780 remote pilots and received approval for small- and medium-category drone training.
- Four faculty members completed master-trainer training in 2024.
- The university has developed crop-specific drone-spraying procedures, including practices for wet direct-seeded rice.
Start-up Support
AgHub at PJTAU supports agri-tech and food-tech enterprises. a-IDEA, the incubator of ICAR-NAARM, reports:
- Support for 350+ start-ups, including 92+ accelerated through AGRI UDAAN.
- Nearly ₹25 crore facilitated in grants and seed funding.
- About ₹160 crore raised by supported start-ups from private investors.
- Benefits reaching over 1.5 lakh farmers.
Conclusion
Women-led drone enterprises can strengthen Telangana’s rural economy and modernise agricultural services. Their success depends on linking training with finance, equipment, reliable guidance and market demand.
CARE MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements:
- Agricultural drone services can help farmers access technology without owning the equipment.
- Drone-pilot training alone guarantees a profitable enterprise.
- SHG networks can support women’s access to finance and customers.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
- Statement 1 is correct: Hiring services reduces the need for individual investment.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: Profitability also depends on demand, operating costs, maintenance and finance.
- Statement 3 is correct: SHGs can connect women with financial institutions, support agencies and potential customers.
FAQs
1. What is the objective of training women as drone pilots?
To create technology-based livelihoods and expand agricultural services.
2. How many women were trained in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri?
35 women across 13 mandals.
3. Which programme can support eligible drone enterprises financially?
The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).
4. What is the role of PJTAU Drone Academy?
It provides remote-pilot training and supports agricultural drone applications.
5. What is the key requirement for successful drone enterprises?
Coordinated access to finance, equipment, certification, maintenance and customers.
