What if the next big change in Indian agriculture came from a woman flying a drone over the fields of her village? From spraying crops with precision to monitoring their health, agricultural drones are opening up new possibilities for farming, and FlySakhi – Drone Queens of Bharat is ensuring rural women are part of this transformation. Under the theme ‘Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Agricultural Drone Technology’, the initiative has trained its first cohort of 25 women, equipping them with the skills to operate drones and build their own agri-tech enterprises. Led by the World Cooperation Economic Forum (WCOOPEF) and the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), with TiHAN–IIT Hyderabad as its technology partner and Syngenta India as its CSR partner, the programme combines technological training with entrepreneurship to help women turn their skills into sustainable livelihoods. Marking the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, FlySakhi is also a flagship initiative under the Civil Society Resilience and National Awareness Mission (CSRNAM) 2026. Binod Anand, secretary general of CNRI, speaks to CE about taking agricultural technology beyond the fields and into the hands of rural women, creating new livelihood opportunities and helping them become entrepreneurs in their own communities.
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What inspired FlySakhi, and why agricultural drones?
At CNRI, we have long seen a gap between rural women’s agricultural labour and their share in farm decisions and earnings. Women do much of the fieldwork, yet technology, credit and agricultural services remain largely male-controlled.
Drones can change this equation. They require skill, discipline and judgement rather than physical strength. They also operate at valuable points in agriculture, including crop protection, nutrient application and field intelligence, enabling women to become service providers rather than just farm workers.
FlySakhi is part of CNRI’s Civil Society Resilience and National Awareness Mission (CSRNAM) and brings the Cooperative Economic Framework to women farmers through digital technology.
How does FlySakhi bring the Cooperative Economic Framework to women farmers?
Developed by CNRI and WCOOPEF, the Cooperative Economic Framework (CEF) ensures that economic power is owned, governed and shared by those creating value. FlySakhi applies this principle through four approaches: collective drone ownership through women’s cooperatives, SHG federations or FPOs; aggregated bookings that provide operators with steady work and small farmers with affordable services; transparent per-acre pricing and accountable service; and local economic sovereignty, retaining skills, income and farm data within villages.
When women own technology through cooperatives, they build community wealth, strengthen local economies and reduce dependence on external service providers and middlemen.
How does FlySakhi move beyond conventional skilling to entrepreneurship?
Most skilling programmes end with a certificate. FlySakhi starts there. Alongside technical training, we provide bankable certification to support applications for drone loans through banks, NABARD-linked institutions and SHG federations. We also teach pricing, record-keeping, customer management, seasonal planning and loan repayment, while connecting graduates with cooperatives, FPOs and SHGs. We are not producing pilots for hire; we are producing owners.
Why does training involve more than flying drones?
Running a trusted, profitable village-level drone service requires five capabilities. Technical competence covers safe flying, mission planning, calibration, battery care and maintenance within DGCA rules. Agronomic understanding includes crops, pests, appropriate spraying schedules and safe, accurate application of crop-protection products and nutrients.
Enterprise and financial skills cover pricing, income tracking, loans and seasonal planning. CNRI’s affiliation with the OECD International Network on Financial Education since 2011 informs this emphasis. Cooperative skills help women understand SHG, FPO and cooperative governance and access institutional credit and government schemes. Digital and civic awareness teaches responsible data handling, fraud prevention and communication with farmers, bankers and officials.
Graduates can advise farmers, negotiate fair rates, maintain accounts, repay loans and lead others. We call them ‘Drone Queens’ because technology is the entry point to leadership and economic independence.
How does training progress from virtual modules to practical operations at TiHAN, IIT Hyderabad?
The programme began on October 5, 2026, with virtual modules covering drone fundamentals, aviation rules, DGCA regulations, airspace safety, agronomy, responsible crop-protection practices and drone-service businesses. Online learning allows women to study from their villages without extended periods away from their families.
Practical training takes place in batches at TiHAN, IIT Hyderabad, under trained instructors. Participants practice take-offs, landings, manual and autonomous flights, mission planning, spraying calibration, emergency procedures, battery care and troubleshooting. CNRI covers hostel and food expenses so costs do not force women to drop out.
Which drones do participants learn to operate, and what can they do?
Training focuses on multirotor agricultural spraying drones commonly used by Indian farmers, alongside exposure to survey and mapping drones. Graduates can precisely spray crop-protection products and liquid fertilisers, including nano-fertilisers; broadcast seeds where suitable; monitor crop health and detect stress; map fields and estimate areas; and assess crop damage for insurance and advisory services.
Precision spraying can reduce chemical and water use while limiting operators’ direct exposure compared with backpack spraying.
How does the Drone-as-a-Service model help graduates build sustainable businesses?
Most small farmers do not need to own drones; they need reliable, affordable services. A FlySakhi graduate, independently or within a women’s group, can charge per acre or service. FPOs and cooperatives aggregate bookings across neighbouring villages, helping generate demand.
Revenue can cover loan instalments, maintenance and personal income. A well-organised operator can serve multiple farms daily, while mapping and monitoring services offer earning opportunities beyond peak spraying seasons.
How do Syngenta India, CNRI and WCOOPEF support livelihood opportunities?
Syngenta India, the CSR partner, contributes expertise in crop protection and stewardship, promoting safe and correct product application. WCOOPEF, led by Chairman Dileep Sanghani, provides the cooperative economic vision and anchors the consortium with TiHAN, IIT Hyderabad, academic partners and alumni.
CNRI brings its network of more than 7,000 NGOs, its Women Wing, chaired by Smt. Shobha Yadav, which is executing the programme, and its state presidents, who connect graduates with local demand. Training partners, including WOW Green, support delivery.
How will graduates connect with farmers, FPOs, SHGs and cooperatives?
FPOs and primary cooperatives can aggregate bookings for entire crop cycles, allowing graduates to schedule services instead of approaching individual farmers. SHG federations can provide both credit and customers.
CNRI’s district networks will connect graduates with these institutions. Its GeoAgri Value Chain Dialogue on November 18, 2026, in New Delhi will bring together input companies, institutions and farmer organisations to help build demand.
How does FlySakhi complement Namo Drone Didi?
Namo Drone Didi is a landmark initiative providing women’s SHGs with drones and substantial financial support. FlySakhi complements rather than competes with it.
Our contribution is the enterprise and cooperative framework, combining business training, bankability and collective ownership to help drones become sustainable businesses instead of underused assets. We want FlySakhi graduates to benefit from government schemes and Drone Didis to access our cooperative and market linkages.
What challenges could graduates face, and how will FlySakhi address them?
Challenges include high initial costs, maintenance, spare parts, unreliable charging facilities, seasonal demand, regulatory compliance, farmer hesitation and social attitudes towards women operating technology.
We address these through bankable certification and institutional credit linkages; shared ownership through cooperatives and SHGs; pooled spare parts and servicing arrangements; mapping and monitoring services to diversify seasonal income; and village demonstrations that build farmers’ confidence. Every graduate also has a peer network and CNRI support, ensuring she does not face problems alone.
How will FlySakhi expand beyond its first 25 graduates?
The first cohort is our proof of concept. CNRI life members have pledged to advance FlySakhi during FY 2026–27, with each of our 28 State Presidents selecting one district for expansion under CSRNAM, establishing a planned footprint across 28 districts this year.
We will assess acres served, incomes earned and loans repaid to refine the model and attract more CSR, cooperative and institutional partners. Our goal is to establish recognised, women-led drone-service enterprises on cooperative lines in every district we enter.
FlySakhi is how the Cooperative Economic Framework takes flight in rural Bharat: one woman, one drone, one cooperative at a time.