From mushroom farmer to ‘Drone Didi’
Jagriti Sahu, a resident of Matwari village in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, was once an unknown name with a simple dream of becoming a teacher. Armed with two postgraduate degrees and a B.Ed, she had envisioned a life in academics. But destiny steered her toward a path that transformed not just her life, but the lives of countless women around her.
Her turning point came in 2019 when she ventured into mushroom cultivation. What began as a small experiment soon turned into a thriving enterprise, earning her lakhs of rupees and positioning her as a symbol of rural self-reliance. As her business flourished, Jagriti extended her knowledge to women in neighbouring villages, training them to grow mushrooms and earn sustainable incomes. Her impact went beyond profit, reflecting a deep sense of responsibility toward society.
Jagriti’s innovative streak didn’t end there. In an effort to promote safer practices during festivals, she researched herbal gulal and discovered that natural colours could be made using locally grown vegetables and flowers. Starting with sales of just Rs 35,000 in the first year, her group went on to sell herbal gulal worth Rs 8.25 lakh last year, marking a significant rise in demand.
Her contributions earned her the title “Mushroom Lady of Durg,” but her achievements soon expanded further. Selected under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Namo Drone Didi initiative, Jagriti received professional drone training and emerged as a certified drone pilot. Today, widely known as “Drone Didi,” she uses drones to spray pesticides across farmlands, saving farmers time, labour, and costs while ushering in modern agricultural practices.
Though she never became a teacher in the traditional sense, Jagriti has grown into a practical educator for rural women. She now provides technical and vocational training in drone operations, mushroom cultivation, and household product manufacturing. Her journey—from an aspiring teacher to a Lakhpati Didi and now a pioneering drone expert—continues to inspire women to pursue self-reliance, innovation, and progress.
