In the fields of Pataudi, Haryana, the steady hum of a drone cuts through the quiet morning. Below, farmers pause to watch as 35-year-old Sharmila Yadav confidently navigates the skies — a former homemaker turned certified drone pilot.

Flying was always Sharmila’s dream. But she never imagined she’d be soaring over crops instead of clouds. With goggles on and controller in hand, she now sprays fertiliser with speed and precision, covering acres in minutes — a task that once took hours of manual labour.

Like many women farmers, Sharmila had spent years toiling under the sun with little recognition. But a training programme changed that. In just five weeks, she piloted drones across 150 acres, earning Rs 50,000 and a new title in her village: “pilot”.

Sharmila is among a growing number of rural women rewriting what farming looks like — thanks in part to government-backed efforts like the Drone Didi programme that are opening up skies, and futures.

1. Sharmila Yadav – Pataudi, Haryana

Who she is: Sharmila Yadav, 35, spent years as a homemaker in the rural town of Pataudi. But she always held a humble dream of flying — one she never thought would materialise in the middle of a farmland.

What she did: Thanks to the government’s ‘Drone Didi’ initiative, she became one of the first certified women drone pilots in her area. Today, she helps spray fertiliser across vast fields with speed and accuracy.

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