Mahindra & Mahindra Sign MoU with MSDE for 'Drone Didi' Pilot Project

To boost rural women's empowerment, the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. to conduct two Pilot Projects under the Drone Didi Yojana at Noida And Hyderabad. 

The MoU was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Mahindra Group CEO and MD Dr Anish Shah and  Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. 

Pilot Projects at the Noida and Hyderabad Centers 

The pilot projects to train women to operate drones for agricultural purposes will be held at the National Skill Training Institute in Noida and Hyderabad. 

The Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. company has a significant presence in the agriculture business. The company will train 500 rural women farmers to operate drones for agricultural purposes, such as fertilising crops, monitoring crop growth, and planting seeds. Mahindra and Mahindra will offer training in skills such as drone flying, data analysis, and drone maintenance.

The NSTI will provide the necessary infrastructure for the pilot training project. It will mobilise and select the trainee women with the help of the local Non-governmental organisation (NGO) and the women Self Help Group (SHG).

Depending upon the outcome of the scheme, the programme will be rolled out at the identified NSTIs and the ITI( Industrial  Training Institute ) across the country.

Drone Didi programme 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Namo Drone Didi scheme under the Sashakt Nari-Viksit Bharat programme on 11 March 2024 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi.

Under the Drone Didi scheme, the government aims to train and equip 15000 women-led Self Help Groups with agricultural drones to assist in tasks such as crop monitoring, spraying fertilisers and sowing seeds.

National Skill Training Institute (NSTI)

The National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) is run by the  Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. 

The NSTI was initially set up by the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T), Ministry of Employment and Labour, Government of India, in 1963. Its main aim was to provide training to ITI instructors in the country. 

The NSTIs are premier institutes that provide training in specialised skills across its various training centres across the country. 

The mission and vision of the centres is to impart Quality training and upgrade the skills of the industrial workforce in emerging areas.

At present there are 33 NSTIs and 3 extension centres across the country.

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)

MSDE was formed on November 9, 2014, by the Government of India to focus on enhancing the employability of skills. 

The Ministry is responsible for implementing the National Skill Development Mission launched by the government of India in 2015. It coordinates all Skill Development efforts across the country, including building the vocational and technical training framework, skill upgradation, the development of new skills, and innovative thinking.