Economic assessment of drone technology in wheat cultivation: A comparative study of traditional and modern approaches in Jaipur district of Rajasthan

India's increasing agricultural problems, such as declining productivity, acute labor shortages and the consequences of climate change, necessitate the adoption of precision agriculture technologies. Wheat cultivation plays a vital role in ensuring food security for millions of people in Rajasthan, particularly in the Jaipur area. This study evaluated the economic viability and efficiency of deploying drone technology in wheat production compared with traditional farming methods. A comparative study was conducted using a sample of 100 farmers (50 traditional and 50 drone users) selected by stratified random sampling in the Jaipur district during the Rabi season of 2024-25. Constraint analysis and efficiency assessment were conducted using the response priority index (RPI) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) approaches respectively. The findings show that drone technology provides substantial economic benefits, including a 37.31 % rise in net revenue (from ₹50035 to ₹68705 per ha), a 15.72 % increase in yield (from 3180 to 3680 kg/ha) and an 11.42 % decrease in production costs. Efficiency analysis revealed superior performanceacross all three parameters: economic efficiency (72 to 91 %), allocative efficiency (68 to 89 %) and technical efficiency (76 to 92 %). Significant input optimization was accomplished via drone technology, resulting in a 40 % drop in pesticide use, a 51 % reduction in labor needs and 12 % savings in water use. Constraint analysis identified the high initial investment cost (RPI- 0.867) and lack of technical knowledge (RPI- 0.752) as the primary adoption barriers. The study concluded that drone technology represents a transformative solution for sustainable wheat production, offering substantial economic, environmental and operational benefits despite the challenges associated with initial investment.