Principal Scientific Adviser Chairs Third Annual Review of RuTAG 2.0 Projects
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, chaired the Third Annual Review Meeting of the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) 2.0 projects on September 24-25, 2026, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Uttarakhand. The meeting was organized by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) and brought together stakeholders from all seven RuTAG Centres to review cumulative progress of projects under RuTAG 2.0.
RuTAG was conceptualized in 2003-04 and formally established in 2004 by OPSA to connect scientific and technical institutions with rural technology needs. RuTAG 2.0, launched in 2023, places greater emphasis on field engagement, technology validation, commercialization, scale-up, and wider application of technologies. The review meeting specifically focused on technology maturity, field validation, measurable outcomes, pathways for wider adoption, and the future course of the programme.
Key participants included Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, OPSA; Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; and Dr Rakesh Kaur, Adviser/Scientist 'G', OPSA and RuTAG Coordinator, along with Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators, and project teams from all RuTAG Centres. The inaugural session commenced with a welcome address by Prof. S.K. Singal, Principal Investigator of RuTAG IIT Roorkee.
In his address, Prof. Sood emphasized that RuTAG must remain focused on addressing practical and genuine challenges faced by rural communities, stating that technological interventions should be scalable and sustainable with the objective being "depth of impact rather than breadth of activity." He stressed that affordability should not compromise quality, reliability, safety, or durability, and that mature technologies should progressively move beyond programme-supported development toward adoption by relevant institutions, enterprises, or industry. He also referenced the RSVC-AMRIT platform developed by NABARD in collaboration with OPSA for supporting technology discovery, validation, deployment, and collaboration.
Dr Maini observed that RuTAG technologies have reached a stage where their contribution needs to be considered in the context of broader rural value chains and livelihood systems rather than as standalone technological solutions. She highlighted the role of State Governments, producer organisations, financial institutions, incubators, manufacturers, and local fabricators in supporting adoption and utilization of RuTAG technologies, and emphasized the need for greater exchange of knowledge and capabilities among the seven RuTAG Centres.
Prof. Pant highlighted the role of science, technology, and entrepreneurship in addressing evolving challenges of rural communities, emphasizing the need to translate research outcomes into practical solutions and viable models supporting sustainable agriculture, local livelihoods, employment and entrepreneurship in remote and rural regions. He underscored the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, efficient use of water and other resources, and local manufacturing and technology deployment.
All seven RuTAG Centres – IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee, ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) Hyderabad, and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir – presented their cumulative progress covering technology readiness, field validation, user feedback, measurable outcomes, documentation, fabrication and manufacturing pathways, institutional linkages and roadmaps for technologies at different stages of maturity.
A significant outcome was the release of a compendium of technologies developed under RuTAG 2.0 (2023-2026) by the RuTAG Centre at SKUAST-Kashmir, documenting the technologies and interventions undertaken by the Centre during this period. Exhibition stalls were set up by all seven RuTAG Centres to showcase selected technologies and interventions developed under RuTAG 2.0.
Participants visited key research and technology facilities at IIT Roorkee including the Hydro Turbine Testing Laboratory, RuTAG Laboratory, Biomass and Biochar Research Laboratory (BBRL), and Environmental Bio Research Laboratory (EBRL), where they were briefed on ongoing research, testing and technology-development activities. The meeting concluded with deliberations on strengthening pathways for mature technologies to move toward wider adoption, building stronger institutional linkages, promoting collaboration across the RuTAG network, and sustaining uptake of technologies developed to address identified rural needs.