Sharmila Yadav, a housewife in rural India, always wanted to become a pilot. She is now realizing some of her dreams by flying large drones remotely to cultivate the country's farmland.
Yadav, 35, is one of hundreds of women trained to operate fertilizer spreaders under the government-backed Drone Sister program.
The plan aims to help modernize Indian agriculture by reducing labor costs and saving time and water, which is hampered by dependence on outdated technology and the growing problem of climate change. The purpose is
It also portends a change in attitudes in rural India towards working women, who traditionally have little opportunity to join the workforce and are often stigmatized for doing so.
“Earlier, it was difficult for women to step out of the house. They were only supposed to do the housework and take care of the children,” said Yadav, a mother of two. I spoke after a day's work of flying my drone over a clear blue sky over a lush green field of stalks.
“Women who went out to work were looked down upon. They were ridiculed for neglecting their duties as mothers. But now attitudes are slowly changing.”
Yadav was a housewife for 16 years after marrying her husband, a farmer. In her small rural village near the town of Pataudi, a few hours' drive from the capital New Delhi, there were few employment opportunities for women.
After spraying her 150 acres (60 hectares) of farmland twice over five weeks, she will earn 50,000 rupees ($600), more than twice her average monthly income in her home state of Haryana. corresponds to
But she said her new job is more than just a “source of income.” “I feel so proud when someone calls me a pilot. I've never sat in an airplane, but now I feel like I'm on a plane,” she said.
Yadav is one of the first batch of 300 women trained by India's largest fertilizer manufacturer, the Indian Farmers' Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO).
Women who train as pilots will be given a free 30kg (66lb) drone and a battery-powered vehicle to transport it.
Other fertilizer companies are also participating in the program, which aims to train 15,000 “drone sisters” across the country.
Yogendra Kumar, Marketing Director, IFFCO, said, “This scheme is not just about employment but also about empowerment and rural entrepreneurship.”
A government survey last year found that just over 41% of rural women in India were in the formal labor force, compared to 80% of rural men.