About this farmer scheme
Kisan Drone Yojana is India's agricultural drone promotion policy launched in February 2022 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to boost crop protection, nutrient management, and agricultural productivity through drone technology. The policy provides purchase subsidies for agricultural drones to make drone-based spraying affordable: SC/ST/small & marginal farmers/NE/women farmers: 50% subsidy (max ₹6 lakh); Other farmers: 40% subsidy (max ₹4 lakh); Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) for renting drones to farmers: 75% subsidy (max ₹7.5 lakh); FPOs: 75% subsidy (max ₹7.5 lakh). Namo Drone Didi scheme (2023) specifically trains 15,000 women SHGs as drone pilots and gives them drones for rental services to farmers (₹8 lakh drone value + training worth ₹15,000). Agricultural drone spraying uses 10x less water than traditional knapsack spraying, covers 1 acre in 7-10 minutes vs 2-4 hours manually, and reduces pesticide use by 25%.
Farmer benefits at a glance
| Scheme Name | Kisan Drone Yojana 2026 — Drone-Based Crop Spraying: 50% Subsidy (SC/ST/Women ₹6 Lakh) |
| Launched By | Government of India |
| Launch Year | 2022 |
| Benefit | Drone purchase subsidy 40-75% (max ₹4-7.5 lakh) + For women SHGs (Namo Drone Didi): Full drone + training + ₹15,000 income/month + Custom Hiring Centre drone rental income ₹5,000-10,000/day |
| Category | Agriculture |
| Last Verified | 9 September 2026 |
| Official Portal | https://agri.dac.gov.in |
What farmers receive
Drone purchase subsidy 40-75% (max ₹4-7.5 lakh) + For women SHGs (Namo Drone Didi): Full drone + training + ₹15,000 income/month + Custom Hiring Centre drone rental income ₹5,000-10,000/day
Which farmers qualify
- ✓Individual SC/ST/small & marginal farmers and NE/women farmers: 50% subsidy (max ₹6 lakh)
- ✓Other individual farmers: 40% subsidy (max ₹4 lakh)
- ✓Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs): 75% subsidy (max ₹7.5 lakh)
- ✓Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs): 75% subsidy (max ₹7.5 lakh)
- ✓Women SHGs (under Namo Drone Didi): Full drone provision + training (no upfront payment needed)
- ✓Drone must be purchased from empanelled manufacturer with DGCA type certificate
Papers to keep ready
Registration walkthrough
- 1Find DGCA-approved agriculture drone manufacturer (DJI, Garuda Aerospace, IdeaForge, General Aeronautics, etc.)
- 2Apply for subsidy through state Agriculture Department or ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
- 3Obtain DGCA Remote Pilot License (RPL) — 5-day training at empanelled drone flying school
- 4Purchase drone → Submit invoice + RPL + Aadhaar to state agriculture department
- 5Subsidy deposited to your bank account within 30-60 days
- 6For Namo Drone Didi (women SHGs): Contact your State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) office
Official Government Portal
Applications go through agri.dac.gov.in only. Applying is free of charge — no agent, middleman or "consultant" is ever required.
🔗Apply on agri.dac.gov.in