Principal Scientific Adviser Professor Ajay Kumar Sood on 26 September 2026 called on the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) to stay sharply focused on practical, ground-level challenges facing India's rural communities, stressing that technological interventions must be both scalable and sustainable. Speaking at a review meeting of all seven RuTAG Centres, Prof. Sood said the programme's guiding principle should shift: 'the objective should increasingly be depth of impact rather than breadth of activity.'

Key Directives from the Principal Scientific Adviser

Prof. Sood laid out a clear framework for RuTAG's next phase. He underlined that affordability must not come at the cost of quality, reliability, safety, or durability — a caution aimed at preventing corner-cutting in low-cost rural deployments. He also called for mature technologies to progressively move beyond programme-supported development toward adoption by relevant institutions, enterprises, or industry, signalling a push for self-sustaining commercialisation.

Prof. Sood additionally highlighted the RSVC-AMRIT platform, developed jointly by NABARD and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA), as a key enabler for technology discovery, validation, deployment, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in the rural space.

RuTAG: From 2004 Origins to the 2.0 Relaunch

Conceptualised in 2003–04 and formally established in 2004, RuTAG was created to bridge the capabilities of scientific and technical institutions with the technology needs of rural India. Nearly two decades later, RuTAG 2.0, launched in 2023, reoriented the programme with a stronger emphasis on field engagement, technology validation, commercialisation, scale-up, and wider application. The review meeting convened stakeholders to assess cumulative progress under RuTAG 2.0, deliberate on technology maturity, and map pathways for broader adoption, according to an official statement.

OPSA Scientific Secretary on Value Chains and Livelihoods

Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at OPSA, observed that RuTAG technologies have matured to a point where their contribution must be evaluated within broader rural value chains and livelihood systems, rather than as isolated solutions. She stated that 'the strength of RuTAG will increasingly lie in how effectively its technologies are adopted and scaled.'

IIT Roorkee Director on Entrepreneurship and Sustainability

Professor Kamal Kishore Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, emphasised the role of science, technology, and entrepreneurship in meeting the evolving needs of rural India. He called for translating research outcomes into practical solutions and viable models capable of supporting sustainable agriculture, local livelihoods, employment, and entrepreneurship — particularly in remote and rural regions. This is the first consolidated review since RuTAG 2.0's launch, and its outcomes are expected to shape the programme's priorities heading into 2027.