Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday, 15 June 2026, interacted with progressive farmers and women drone operators — popularly called Drone Didis — through a special episode of Kisan Samvad (Farmer Dialogue), broadcast on the state's public television channel DD Chhattisgarh. The Chief Minister said he was delighted to hear first-hand accounts of how nano fertilisers, modern technologies and innovations are enabling high-quality farming at lower costs.

Context

Posting about the interaction on X (formerly Twitter), CM Sai wrote: 'DD Chhattisgarh ke vishesh karyakram Kisan Samvad ke madhyam se pradesh ke pragatisheel kisan bhaion evam Drone Didiyon ke saath samvad kiya.' — 'Through the special programme Kisan Samvad on DD Chhattisgarh, I interacted with the state's progressive farmer brothers and Drone Didis.' He added that learning about their experiences of advanced farming at low cost through nano fertilisers and modern innovations was a source of happiness. The Chief Minister also reaffirmed his government's commitment to making agriculture more profitable and technology-driven, and to raising farmers' incomes through comprehensive development of the agricultural sector.

Policy Backdrop

Drone Didis are rural women trained to operate agricultural drones for spraying fertilisers and pesticides — a model that combines precision agriculture with livelihood creation. The initiative draws from the national policy framework established by the Union Government's Drone Rules, 2021, which liberalised civilian drone operations including in farming, and from Central subsidies under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation that have supported drone purchase and custom-hiring centres since 2022.

Nano urea, commercialised by IFFCO in 2021, is a liquid fertiliser promoted to improve nutrient uptake efficiency and reduce dependence on conventional chemical fertilisers. Its adoption is part of a broader national push to lower the cost of cultivation and move towards sustainable farming practices. Chhattisgarh, a central Indian state with a large tribal population and an economy heavily reliant on paddy, maize and minor millets, stands to benefit significantly from technologies that cut input costs for small and marginal farmers.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of this technology push are progressive farmers, small and marginal cultivators, and women drone operators across Chhattisgarh. For Drone Didis, the programme represents both an income-generation opportunity and a role in disseminating precision agriculture practices to rural communities. Multiple states across India have rolled out similar women-centric drone training under rural livelihood missions, and Chhattisgarh's approach mirrors this national emphasis.

For the farming community at large, the combination of nano fertilisers and drone-based application promises a reduction in input costs — a critical concern in a state where agriculture remains the primary occupation for a majority of households. DD Chhattisgarh's Kisan Samvad format serves as a direct outreach tool, bridging the gap between government policy and ground-level adoption.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to whether the state government follows the broadcast dialogue with concrete policy announcements — including potential subsidies, expanded custom-hiring centres for agri-drones, or new distribution guidelines for nano fertilisers ahead of the upcoming kharif season. CM Sai's public engagement with Drone Didis and progressive farmers signals that technology-led agricultural transformation will remain a visible priority for the BJP government in Chhattisgarh, which took office in December 2023. The broader arc points toward Chhattisgarh deepening its alignment with national goals of doubling farmer income and reducing the environmental footprint of cultivation.