MIT Sloan School of Management Senior Lecturer Jonathan Fleming praised India’s efforts in leveraging technology for women’s empowerment during his visit to the ICAR Pusa campus on Saturday.
After interacting with participants of the “Namo Drone Didi“ scheme, he remarked, “I’m excited to see how India is using technology for women empowerment.”
Fleming commended the initiative, emphasizing its broader impact: “This initiative is an inspiration not only for rural Indian women but also for other countries.”
During his visit, he observed a live demonstration where four women—Gita, Sita, Priyanka, and Hemlata—used drones to spray fertilizers and pesticides on crop fields. According to an official statement, the participants shared how the government program provided training and financial aid, enabling them to adopt drone technology. They noted significant improvements in their financial conditions and expressed pride in their new role as “Drone Didis” (drone sisters).
Highlighting the contrast between India and the U.S. in this domain, Fleming stated, “One hundred per cent of drone incentive scheme beneficiaries in the USA are men, while in India it’s totally opposite as all the beneficiaries are women. This is a great example of how India is using technology for women’s empowerment.”
Fleming also toured the Drone Robotic and Machine Learning Centre at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), where he was introduced to various indigenous drones developed by the institute and their role in revolutionizing traditional farming methods.
The visit was attended by officials from the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, IARI scientists, and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, IFFCO, and state livelihood missions from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.