The Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme designed to promote efficient water use in Indian agriculture. It was launched on July 1, 2015, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as the micro-irrigation component of the broader Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). The scheme was created to solve the problem of substantial water wastage from traditional flood irrigation and to address the scarcity of freshwater and declining groundwater levels.
The core mechanism of PDMC is to subsidize the adoption of micro-irrigation technologies, specifically drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, which deliver water directly to the plant's root zone. The scheme provides financial assistance for installing these systems on up to 5 hectares per beneficiary. Small and marginal farmers are eligible for a subsidy of 55%, while other farmers receive 45% of the unit cost, with the funding shared between the Centre and the State, typically in a 60:40 ratio. The subsidy is transferred directly to the farmer's bank account through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.
PDMC is intrinsically connected to the PMKSY, which operates under the vision of "Har Khet Ko Pani" (Water to Every Field). The scheme also supports related interventions like fertigation and micro-level water storage. While it was implemented under PMKSY from 2015-16 to 2021-22, the scheme's institutional framework has changed recently. Since 2022-23, PDMC has been implemented under the umbrella of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), reflecting a rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The core objective of promoting micro-irrigation and the subsidy structure, however, have remained the same.