"Not even in my dreams did I...": 'Drone Didi' Sunita on speaking to PM Modi during 'Mann Ki Baat'

Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Sharing her delight and excitement at the conversation she had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', 'Drone Didi' Sunita on Sunday said not even in her dreams did she ever see herself speaking to the country's most powerful leader.

Detailing her experience of speaking to PM Modi during the 110th edition of this monthly radio address, the 'Drone Didi' from the Sidhauli village of UP's Sitapur said, "Not even in my dreams did I ever see myself speaking to PM Modi.'

A flagship scheme of the Centre, the 'NAMO Drone Didi Scheme' was launched with the objective of empowering 15,000 women self-help groups across the country by providing them with drones for offering rental services to farmers.

Emphasising the role of women in society, she said it is often assumed that women can do little more than run mundane household chores but they can accomplish anything if they set their minds to it.

Expanding on how drones are utilised for the welfare of farmers, she said, "We use drones to spray water on fields that are large in terms of area and size. An acre of farmland could be irrigated in 10 minutes by using drones."

Thanking her husband for being her source of support and motivation, she said, "He supports me on every front. He encouraged and pushed me to get into several new things. I could not have been a 'Drone Didi' without his support and help."

In his last 'Mann Ki Baat' address ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi, on Sunday, said women's power has manifested itself in the country like never before, with the other half of the population reaching new heights and marking forward strides in every field.
PM Modi said March 8, a day which is to be celebrated globally as International Women's Day, is an opportunity for all fellow citizens to commend the role of 'Nari Shakti' (women's power) in the country's developmental journey.

Underlining the role of the 'NAMO Drone Didi' scheme that he launched last year, PM Modi said the initiative has brought a positive and transformative change to the lives of women in rural areas.

"Who would have thought even a few years ago that rural women in our country would someday fly drones? But today, this is a reality. I am happy to note the conversations around 'Drone Didis' in every village. 'NAMO Drone Didi' is on everyone's lips. Everyone is talking about them," he said.

Since the launch of the 'NAMO Drone Didi Scheme' last year, many fertilizer firms, apart from IFFCO, have come forward to empower women's self-help groups to benefit from schemes such as 'Lakhpati Didi'.