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Rural Technology Action Group 2.0 (RuTAG 2.0)–reg.

Rural Technology Action Group or RuTAG is an initiative of the Principal Scientific Advisor
(PSA) to the Government of India since 2004. RuTAG was devised to be a mechanism to
achieve rural advancement through Science and Technology (S&T) interventions. The
interventions are essentially demand-driven and have focus on problems associated with
marginal communities in rural areas.

The RuTAG 1.0 initiated in 2004 to provide demand driven appropriate technologies for rural
areas through RuTAG centers established at seven IITs, i.e. in Madras (2004), Guwahati (2005),
Kharagpur (2008), Delhi (2009), Roorkee (2009), Bombay (2010), and Kanpur (2013). So far 59
nos. of demand driven technologies catering to sectors like agriculture, textile, artisan etc. have
been developed

About

The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser launched RuTAG 2.0 in April 2023 with the
objectives of connecting with stakeholders, to identify grassroots innovations, developing
demand-driven technologies, validating prototypes, and commercializing technologies for
national and global markets. The Office has allocated funding support to Seven project
implementing agencies for a period of 36 months. In this phase, RuTAG 2.0 is currently in
progress with the following five institutions:

i) Indian Institute of Technology Bombay ii) ICAR – National Academy of Agricultural

Research Management, Hyderabad iii) Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences &
Technology, Jammu and Kashmir iv) Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, v) Indian Institute
of Technology Delhi vi) Indian Institute of Technology Madras and vii) Indian Institute of
Technology Guwahati

a. Mandate

 Updating traditional knowledge/methods and practices with appropriate technology developed

by research institutions with potential for IPR.
 Connect at grass root level to understand the demands and develop the innovative rural
technologies with commercialization potential.

b. Objectives of RuTAG 2.0

 To connect with possible stakeholders like NGOs (Non-Government Organizations), SHGs,

(Self Help Groups), COs (Community Organizations) Start-ups, Technology Incubators, and
Fabricators to identify sector specific technology needs.
 To develop demand driven technologies based on socio-economic data coherent with
National/Regional priorities, National policies/ schemes etc.
 To validate developed prototypes supported with impact studies and explore their
 commercialization with scalability aspects.
 To commercialize the potentially validated technologies for national/global markets.

Centres

i) Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

ii) ICAR – National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad
iii) Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu and Kashmir
iv) Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee,
v) Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
vi) Indian Institute of Technology Madras and
vii) Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

i) Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Project Title (1 line): Rural Technology action group - 2.0

Developing (
including
functional
upgradation
)
, disseminating and commercializing d
emand driven innovative rural technologies
b.
Project
Implementing
Agency
:
Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas
(CTARA)
,
IIT
Bombay
, which has been the host of RuTAG