The 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 on 24-25 September 2026 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in Uttarakhand. The meeting brought together all seven RuTAG Centres to assess progress on technology projects designed to address practical challenges faced by rural communities across India.
RuTAG, originally conceived in 2003-04 and established in 2004 by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, connects the research capabilities of scientific institutions with the technology needs of rural areas. The updated RuTAG 2.0 programme, launched in 2023, places stronger emphasis on field testing, proving technology works in real conditions, turning inventions into commercial products, expanding successful solutions, and ensuring broader use of developed technologies.
Key facts
- Review meeting held 24-25 September 2026 at IIT Roorkee, Uttarakhand
- Seven RuTAG Centres participated: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee, ICAR-NAARM Hyderabad, and SKUAST Kashmir
- RuTAG originally established in 2004; RuTAG 2.0 launched in 2023
- Compendium of technologies from SKUAST-Kashmir released documenting 2023-2026 work
- Exhibition stalls set up by all seven centres to display developed technologies
What RuTAG 2.0 does
RuTAG 2.0 is a government programme that brings researchers and engineers from India’s top institutions together to create practical solutions for rural problems. Instead of developing technologies in laboratories that never reach farmers or villagers, RuTAG 2.0 emphasises testing solutions in actual field conditions, working directly with users to refine them, measuring whether they actually improve rural lives, and helping turn successful inventions into products that can be manufactured and sold.
The seven participating centres include five Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Madras, and Roorkee), the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Kashmir. Each centre develops technologies suited to the agricultural, livelihood, and resource challenges of their respective regions.
Key messages from the review meeting
Prof. Sood stressed that RuTAG should focus on solving genuine problems that rural communities actually face, rather than developing many technologies with limited real-world use. He said technological solutions must be scalable (capable of expanding to many places), sustainable (able to continue without constant outside support), and emphasised that “depth of impact rather than breadth of activity” should be the goal. He also noted that affordability cannot come at the cost of quality, reliability, safety, or durability.
Prof. Sood further stated that technologies which have been fully developed should gradually shift from being funded and supported by the RuTAG programme towards adoption by government bodies, private businesses, manufacturers, or local fabricators who can take them to market and ensure they reach end users.
Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, observed that RuTAG technologies should not be viewed as standalone solutions but as part of broader rural systems that support livelihoods and value chains. She underlined that the real strength of RuTAG lies in how well and widely these technologies are actually adopted and expanded. She noted that different technologies at different stages of development require different types of support, and highlighted the role of state governments, farmer producer organisations, banks, business incubators, manufacturers, and local craftspeople in helping these technologies reach rural users.
Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, emphasised the need to translate research into practical, workable models that support sustainable farming, local employment, and entrepreneurship, especially in remote areas. He stressed the importance of teamwork across different fields of expertise, wise use of water and other resources, and local-level manufacturing so that technologies are sustainable, can be expanded, and meet regional needs.
What the review covered
During the two-day meeting, all seven RuTAG Centres presented details of their work. Discussions examined how ready technologies are for use, whether they work properly when tested with actual users, feedback from people using them, measurable improvements they achieve, how they can be manufactured and produced locally, connections with government and private institutions, and plans for technologies at different levels of development.
A compendium documenting all technologies developed by the SKUAST-Kashmir centre from 2023 to 2026 was released during the meeting. All seven centres set up exhibition stalls where participants could see examples of the technologies they have developed. Participants also visited research laboratories at IIT Roorkee, including facilities for testing water turbines, biomass and biochar research, and environmental biological research.
What this means for you
If you work in agriculture or a rural livelihood in India, this review signals that technologies being developed through RuTAG 2.0 are moving closer to practical use. The programme is focused on ensuring that inventions actually solve problems that matter to you, work reliably, remain affordable, and can be obtained or manufactured locally. If you run a small manufacturing business or work as a local fabricator, RuTAG is identifying pathways to help you produce and supply these technologies to rural markets.
If you work in government or with farmer organisations, the review emphasises stronger collaboration between research institutions and the bodies that help distribute and adopt new technologies in villages and farming areas.
What happens next
The review concluded with discussion on strengthening the process for mature technologies to move towards wider adoption, building stronger connections between research institutions and users, promoting collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the seven RuTAG Centres, and ensuring that developed technologies continue to be used and expanded across rural India.