On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi actively participated in the Sashakt Nari-Viksit Bharat program held in the national capital. The event featured a simultaneous drone demonstration by Namo Drone Didis from 10 different locations across the country. During the program, Prime Minister Modi distributed drones to 1,000 Namo Drone Didis, emphasizing the significance of these initiatives in realizing his vision of fostering economic empowerment and financial autonomy among women, particularly in rural areas.
At the core of these initiatives are the Namo Drone Didi and Lakhpati Didi programs, integral components of Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to empowering women economically.
The ‘Namo Drone Didi’ program aims to connect 15,000 self-help groups, providing them with drones and empowering women in villages to become trained drone pilots.
This initiative seeks to elevate the status of women in rural areas, ensuring they receive due respect. The overarching goal is to make these women self-reliant through the empowerment campaign facilitated by the self-help groups.
By offering drone training and opportunities for additional income, the ‘Namo Drone Didi’ program intends to create a pathway for women to achieve financial independence. Prime Minister Modi also recognized and felicitated Lakhpati Didis during the event, acknowledging their success with the support of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission. These Lakhpati Didis, who have already achieved success, play a crucial role in motivating and supporting members of other self-help groups.
In the Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement, Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the decision to increase the target for Lakhpati Didi from 2 crore to 3 crore. She emphasized the transformative impact of 83 lakh self-help groups with nine crore women, contributing to the socio-economic landscape of rural areas by fostering empowerment and self-reliance. Nearly one crore women have already achieved the status of Lakhpati Didis due to the success of these groups.
In addition to the drone initiatives, Prime Minister Modi facilitated the disbursal of around Rs 8,000 crore in bank loans to Self Help Groups (SHGs) at subsidized interest rates through Bank Linkage Camps across districts. Additionally, he allocated approximately Rs 2,000 crore in Capitalization Support Funds to SHGs, further reinforcing the commitment to empower women economically.
The NaMo Drone Didi Initiative, with its focus on training women as drone pilots for agricultural purposes, seeks to empower rural women and contribute to agricultural activities such as crop monitoring, fertilization, and seed sowing. Overall, these initiatives represent a comprehensive approach to women’s economic empowerment, aligning with the government’s commitment to fostering self-reliance and inclusivity in rural communities.
