"Kisan Drone Yojana" is not one separate scheme. It is the popular name for the government's push to use "Kisan drones" (spraying drones) through the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), which subsidises drones, and the Namo Drone Didi scheme, which supplies drones to women's self-help groups. To run one legally you need a DGCA remote pilot certificate, a registered and type-certified drone, and a pesticide that is permitted for drone application.
This page covers the rules, training, spraying uses and the realistic economics. For subsidy rates and how to apply, see agricultural drone subsidy.
What the rules require (DGCA Drone Rules, 2021 and amendments)
| Requirement | What it means for a spraying drone |
|---|---|
| Weight class | Nano is up to 250 g, micro up to 2 kg, small 2-25 kg, medium 25-150 kg. Agricultural spraying drones typically fall in the small category |
| Registration | The drone must be registered to get a Unique Identification Number (UIN). Registration, pilot certification and type certification now run on DGCA's eGCA platform; flight plans and the airspace map stay on Digital Sky |
| Type certificate | The operator must ensure the drone model conforms to a valid type certificate. Buy only models that have it |
| Remote pilot certificate (RPC) | Age 18-65, class 10 pass, and training plus a test at a DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO). Valid for 10 years. The 2021 rules set the fee at ₹100 |
| Airspace zones | Green zone (up to 400 ft / 120 m, not red or yellow): no permission needed. Yellow zone (for example near airports): permission from air traffic control. Red zone: only with Central Government permission |
| Penalty | The 2021 rules cap penalties at ₹1 lakh |
As of February 2026, India had 38,575 registered drones, 39,890 remote pilot certificates and 244 approved training organisations (PIB). Nearly 90% of Indian airspace is designated green zone. Always check the live airspace map before a flight, and get the current fee and procedure from the DGCA, since they can change.
Training: how a pilot gets certified
- Choose a DGCA-approved RPTO (the list is published by DGCA).
- Complete the course and pass the proficiency test; the RPTO issues the remote pilot certificate through the DGCA system.
- Take agriculture-specific training on spraying, calibration, nozzle selection and chemical safety. Under Namo Drone Didi the package includes 15 days of pilot training with additional training for nutrient and pesticide application, plus training for a drone assistant (5 days according to the July 2025 PIB reply). KVKs also run demonstrations.
Spraying pesticides by drone: what is allowed
- The Agriculture Ministry gave interim approval in April 2022 for registered insecticide, fungicide and plant growth regulator formulations (including biopesticides and botanicals) that are already allowed for knapsack spraying to be applied by drone.
- That interim approval was extended for a year to 18 April 2025. We could not verify whether it has since been extended or replaced, so confirm the current position with your KVK or the pesticide dealer before drone-spraying any product that does not carry a drone-use label.
- Pesticide companies must submit label and leaflet instructions for drone use aligned with the Agriculture Ministry's Standard Operating Procedure, and the CIB&RC requires phytotoxicity data for drone application, plus bio-efficacy and residue data if the dose or schedule differs from conventional spray.
- Drone service providers must follow the Drone Rules and the Ministry's SOPs for pesticide and for nutrient spraying.
The CIB&RC's own spray-monitoring form shows what a safe operation records: weather (temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction), spray height and flow rate, protective clothing (goggles, mask, gloves, overalls, boots), availability of soap and water, who was informed (farmers, villagers, beekeepers), and nearby water bodies. Treat these as your checklist. Follow the label dose; do not assume a knapsack dose can simply be poured into the drone tank.
What drones are used for
- Spraying pesticides, liquid fertilisers and plant growth regulators on field crops, orchards and plantations. Namo Drone Didi is for application of liquid fertilisers and pesticides "for the present".
- Demonstrations: between 2023-24 and 2025-26 (to 30 November 2025), ICAR institutes, SAUs and KVKs ran Kisan drone demonstrations on about 41,010 hectares, reaching 4.52 lakh farmers.
- Advantages the Ministry cites: high field capacity, less waste because of fine atomisation, water saving from ultra-low-volume spraying, and less human exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Realistic economics and limits
The Agricultural Development and Rural Transformation Centre (ADRTC, Bengaluru) studied the 500 drones given to SHGs. It found:
- A Kisan drone covers one acre in about 7-8 minutes, and a single battery charge flies for 5-20 minutes depending on the make.
- Where no utility vehicle came with the drone, 42.68% of drone didis had transport problems (78.82% in the South), and 68.66% said hiring a vehicle was costly.
The Namo Drone Didi guidelines expect a group to cover 2,000 to 2,500 acres a year, and the scheme's target is additional income of at least ₹1 lakh per year per SHG. The arithmetic behind that: at 7.5 minutes per acre, 2,000 acres is about 250 flight hours, or roughly 2.5 hours a day over 100 spraying days, not counting battery changes, refilling and travel.
As an illustration only (the service charge here is an assumption, rates vary by state, crop and season): at ₹300 per acre, 2,000 acres earns ₹6 lakh gross; at ₹500 per acre and 2,500 acres, ₹12.5 lakh gross. From that you must still pay the pilot and assistant, batteries, transport, repairs, insurance and any loan instalments, so the realistic net is far lower.
Subsidy and status at a glance
- SMAM: 50% up to ₹5 lakh for small and marginal, SC/ST, women and North-Eastern farmers; 40% up to ₹4 lakh for others; CHC, FPO and institutional rates differ. Only 2,122 drones were approved for farmers and CHCs in 2023-24 to 2025-26 (till 30 Nov 2025).
- Namo Drone Didi: 80% up to ₹8 lakh for women SHGs, approved for 2023-24 to 2025-26; about 500 drones distributed by March 2026. Ask your state mission about current availability.
Also see the subsidy finder for other schemes, and our guide on pests for what to spray.
Sources
- PIB backgrounder: The Drone Rules, 2021 (28 Jan 2022)
- PIB: India's Drone Ecosystem, from Policy to Public Service Transformation (17 Feb 2026)
- PIB: Operational Guidelines of Namo Drone Didi (1 Nov 2024)
- PIB: Implementation of Drone Didi Scheme (29 Jul 2025), ADRTC study findings
- PIB: Government Promotes AI and Drone Technologies (16 Dec 2025)
- PIB: Funds for Kisan Drones (21 Mar 2023)
- PIB: Government to Promote Drone use in Agriculture (22 Jan 2022)
- CIB&RC (434th RC meeting minutes, Annexure 10.39): guidelines for registration of pesticides for drone application
- AgriBusiness Global: Interim approval for drone pesticide application extended to 18 April 2025