Odisha's 'Drone Didi' helps 1,000 farmers cut costs, earn more

Kumudini Swain, Odisha's "Drone Didi", helped nearly 1,000 farmers cut costs and save time using agricultural drones. A BSc graduate, she returned to farming after losing her job during COVID-19. In 2022, she received government-backed drone training, earned a licence and acquired a ₹15-lakh drone for her company, Maheera. This helped reduce chemical-spraying labour time from hours to minutes.