The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has announced progress under the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme, which promotes efficient water use in farming through micro-irrigation technologies. As of July 2026, the scheme has brought 115 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation systems. The initiative now operates as a key component of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), which was restructured in October 2024 to consolidate nine agricultural schemes under one umbrella framework.
Key Details of the Scheme
The PDMC scheme provides financial assistance for installing drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation systems on farms up to five hectares per farmer. Small and marginal farmers receive 55% assistance while other farmers receive 45%. A total of 8,123.24 crore rupees in central assistance was released over the last three years. For 2025-26, the government has sanctioned 8,957.72 crore rupees for PM-RKVY, with 3,226.36 crore rupees specifically allocated to PDMC.
During 2025-26, the scheme benefited 12.30 lakh farmers, with approximately 20% of beneficiaries being women. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Rajasthan recorded the highest areas under micro-irrigation. Farmers can receive assistance again for the same land after seven years, and some state governments also provide additional subsidies from their own budgets.
The scheme now includes new flexibility allowing states and union territories to undertake water storage and conservation activities such as construction of farm ponds and water harvesting systems. Previously, such funding was capped at 20% of total allocation for most states and 40% for northeastern, Himalayan states and union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These restrictions have now been removed.
What This Means for You
If you are a farmer in water-stressed regions or areas with declining groundwater, this scheme can help reduce your water usage while increasing crop yields. Independent studies show farmers using micro-irrigation have achieved water savings of 20% to 48%, reduced fertilizer costs by 11% to 19%, and increased crop yields by 20% to 38%. One farmer in Andhra Pradesh increased his income from 1.5 lakh rupees to 2.85 lakh rupees annually after switching to drip irrigation under this scheme. You can apply through your state agriculture department for financial assistance to install these systems on your farm.