New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India was on the cusp of a women-led technological revolution as he handed over 1,000 drones to “Namo Drone Didis”, a growing contingent of women from self-help groups (SHGs) trained to undertake agricultural operations using remote-controlled aerial vehicles.

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Participating in the “Sashakt Nari, Viksit Bharat (Empowered Women, Developed India)” programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in the Capital, Modi disbursed ₹8,000 crore in bank loans to SHGs at subsidised interest rates. The Prime Minister also digitally transferred ₹2000 crore worth of capitalisation support funds to SHGs.

Modi said that women were at the core of every policy of his government, and lauded the role of SHGs in transforming the rural economy.

“Any society can progress only through creating opportunities and ensuring the dignity of the Nari Shakti (women power),” he said. Earlier, the Prime Minister witnessed drone-driven agricultural operations by Namo Drone Didis at a demonstration farm of IARI at Delhi’s Pusa complex.

In the past 10 years, the BJP-led government has won over women voters with several major schemes, from piped water to every rural household, and from clean cooking fuel to sanitation.

“Transformative influence of drone technology in agriculture is being steered by women of the nation. I have full faith that Nari Shakti will lead the technology revolution of the 21st century in the country,” the PM said.

Modi said he was the first Prime Minister to speak from the ramparts of the Red Fort about issues of women empowerment, such as proper toilets for women, availability of affordable sanitary pads, clean cooking fuel, piped water, and registration of PM Awas Yojana houses in the name of women beneficiaries.

“In order to stop female foeticide, campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and schemes like ₹6,000 for expectant mothers, Sukanya Samriddhi for ensuring resources for girls’ schooling, Mudra Yojana to help women become entrepreneurs, expansion of maternity leave, free medical treatment and affordable medicines, all these have brought a change in the old mindset,” Modi said.

“Modi’s sensitivities and Modi’s schemes have emerged from the experiences rooted in everyday life. That is why these schemes bring ease of life for the mothers and daughters of the country,” he added.

The Prime Minister said drone technologies would expand exponentially in coming days, from delivery of products to medicines. “It is a matter of pride that the first pilots of drone are women, who will bring modernisation to the agriculture sector.”

India’s drone economy is expanding rapidly, from health care to agriculture, with state-run agencies and private firms rolling out a wide range of applications and services, some to boost last-mile delivery in hard-to-reach areas. Investments are expected to reach ₹5,000 crore in the next three years, according to an official projection.

Modi also said that India had the distinction of having the highest number of women commercial pilots in the world. “From commercial pilots to drone pilots, women are leading the way,” he said.

New federal guidelines for a scheme called “Kisan Drone” have provisioned substantial subsidies for farmers and organisations alike to spur the use of remotely piloted aerial vehicles.

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Farmers’ producer organisations are eligible to receive grants of up to 75% of the cost of the drone for forward demonstrations. The government will also offer ₹6,000 per hectare to implementing agencies that do not want to purchase drones but will hire drones for demonstrations.

“A standard agriculture drone costs between ₹8-10 lakhs… the government’s drone subsidies have made the purchase of agricultural drones nearly free for leading agri-research and agri-training institutions,” said Rahul Kanojia whose startup Beej offers drone-based spraying on a per hour basis in Punjab, Kartanaka and Maharashtra.