Odisha’s ‘Drone Didi’ leads farming revolution with 960-member collective
Khordha, Odisha: On a morning in Sirampur village, a group of women watch as a drone sprays fertiliser over acres of farmland — work that once took a full day now takes six minutes an acre.
At the heart of this shift is 40-year-old Kumudini Swain, fondly known as Odisha’s ‘Drone Didi’.
Kumudini, who holds a BSc degree, had worked in the dairy sector before losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned to her two-acre farm with her family and began vegetable cultivation.
What started as a survival measure grew into Maheera Farmer Producer Company Limited (FPCL), a collective of 960 farmers, 70% of whom are women. Supported by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Khordha and NGO NIGAM, the collective raised Rs 5 lakh from farmers and a loan from Samunnati Finance to set up a mushroom unit, poultry shed and fruit orchards. It now records an annual turnover of over Rs 1 crore.
In 2022, Kumudini trained for 15 days in Pune and obtained a DGCA-certified drone licence. Maheera now operates two drones worth Rs 15 lakh each, cutting spraying costs by 60-70% and reducing chemical exposure.
The collective also connects farmers directly to buyers through the e-NAM platform, helping them secure prices up to 60% higher.
Members like Sulochana Mohanty, who now employs 30 women and earns up to Rs 50,000 a month, and Chumina Patel, who grew from two goats to 15 and now earns over Rs 25,000 monthly, say the model has given them financial independence.”I want every woman farmer associated with us to become independent,” Kumudini said.
