Per Drop More Crop Scheme Achievements and Implementation
The Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme has brought over 115 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation as of July 2026, accounting for approximately 8.11% of India's net sown area. This centrally sponsored scheme promotes water use efficiency through drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, addressing the national priority where over 80% of India's available water resources are used for agricultural irrigation while only about 50% of net sown area has irrigation facilities.
Financial Assistance and Scheme Evolution
The government provides financial assistance of up to five hectares per beneficiary, with small and marginal farmers receiving 55% subsidy and other farmers receiving 45%. Central assistance of ₹8,123.24 crore has been released in the last three years, with some state governments providing additional subsidies from their own budgets. Farmers can receive assistance again for the same land after seven years. The scheme originated in January 2006 as the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Micro Irrigation, was upgraded to the National Mission on Micro Irrigation in 2010-11, became part of the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture in 2014-15, and was implemented as a core component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana from 2015-16 to 2021-22. Since 2022-23, PDMC has been implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), which received ₹8,957.72 crore in 2025-26, including ₹3,226.36 crore specifically for PDMC.
Implementation and Geographic Coverage
The scheme adopts PM-RKVY's institutional architecture with the National Stewardship Council providing strategic direction at the national level. At the state level, the State Level Sanctioning Committee approves plans while the Inter-Departmental Working Group coordinates implementation. District Level Implementation Committees oversee execution at the district level. In 2025-26, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Rajasthan recorded the highest areas covered under PDMC, benefiting 12.30 lakh farmers with approximately 20% of beneficiaries being women.
Technical Systems and Benefits
PDMC supports two major micro-irrigation systems: drip irrigation (including on-line and in-line systems) and sprinkler irrigation (including portable, micro, mini, semi-permanent sprinklers, and large volume rain-guns). The scheme promotes precision water management, fertigation (fertilizer application with irrigation water), and integration with tube wells, river-lift irrigation, and solar-powered systems. Independent studies demonstrate significant benefits: NITI Aayog's 2020-21 evaluation reported income gains of 10-69% and water use efficiency improvements of 30-70%. The Economic Survey 2020-21 quantified water savings of 20-48%, energy savings of 10-17%, labor cost reductions of 30-40%, fertilizer savings of 11-19%, and crop yield increases of 20-38%.
Recent Enhancements and Case Study
The revised guidelines now allow states and UTs to exceed previous funding restrictions for micro-level water storage and conservation activities (previously capped at 20% for general states and 40% for North Eastern and Himalayan states). A case study of LAM Srinivasa Rao from Palnadu, Andhra Pradesh, showed yield increase from 90 to 105 quintals per acre in his acid lime orchard, cultivation cost reduction from ₹3.0 lakh to ₹2.4 lakh, and net income increase from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.85 lakh, earning an additional ₹1.35 lakh through micro-irrigation adoption.