Women take the controls as farms embrace new tech in Telangana

The drone hums over a paddy field in Motakondur village in Telangana ’s Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, drawing the attention of scores of villagers. At the controls is 33-year-old farmer Usirika Sandhya, who covers the crop with pesticide in a matter of minutes, a task that would otherwise require hours of back-breaking work with a hand sprayer.

For Sandhya, however, the drone is about more than making farm work quicker. It is an attempt to spare her husband, Mahesh, the health problems he faces after long hours of pesticide spraying, while also opening up a new livelihood opportunity for her.

Her experience reflects a larger shift taking place in rural Telangana, where women from self-help groups (SHGs) are beginning to take up technology-driven agricultural services as drone pilots and rural entrepreneurs.