In February 2025, the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAGe) Smart Village Center (RSVC) was inaugurated in Mandaura village, Sonipat, Haryana. The inauguration was led by Professor Ajay Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI), alongside key partners: Commodore Sridhar Kotra, Founder of the Modern Village Foundation, and DP Goel, Chairman of the Chaalis Gaon Vikas Parishad.
- The RSVC aims to bridge the gap between rural technological needs and cutting-edge innovations, promoting sustainable development in rural areas.
Key Features of the RSVC:
i.The RSVC serves as a permanent hub for technological integration at the Panchayat level, impacting 15-20 villages over several years and offers a comprehensive range of 12 technology tracks to address diverse rural challenges.
ii.Agriculture & Waste Management: Services for agriculture, waste management, homestays, and village tourism, supported by pre-sowing to post-harvest technologies, in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
iii.RuTAG Technologies: Innovations from 7 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), developed under the Office of the PSA to the GoI.
iv.Livelihood & Entrepreneurship: Promoting local entrepreneurship through schemes like the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
v.Renewable Energy(RE): Solar hybrid and wind technology solutions, with technical assistance from the SELCO (Solar Electric Light Company) Foundation in Bengaluru (Karnataka) .
vi.National Innovations: Technologies from Manthan Systems (Bengaluru), Pune Cluster (Maharashtra), and IIT Madras (Chennai,Tamil Nadu,TN) for various rural needs.
vii.Affordable Housing: Innovative housing technologies from Manthan Group, (Chennai) and HR Corporation Private Limited, Mumbai (Maharashtra).
viii.Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): Waste management, water, and sanitation solutions, including IIT Madras Aquamaps and WeVOIS Labs Private Limited, Jaipur (Rajasthan).
ix.Financial Technology (FinTech): Financial inclusion apps and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies developed by Bengaluru, (Karnataka) based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and XR Group Gurgaon (Haryana).
x.Capacity Building: Research and capacity-building initiatives with Tier 2 & 3 colleges, where the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) is a facility for piloting biscuit manufacturing from locally sourced materials like sugar and ghee.
- The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) is undertaking capacity building of RSVC center heads.
xi.Government Scheme Applications: Dissemination of government schemes through citizen-centric apps for science, technology, and welfare programs.
xii.Assistive Technologies: Solutions for differently-abled individuals through the Assistive Technology (AT) Foundation.
xiii.Custom Solutions: Deployment of technologies like animal intrusion prevention and electronic medical record-keeping based on local needs.
Quality Assurance and Market Linkages:
i.Additionally, the center emphasizes market linkages through collaborations with platforms like the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Amazon.com.Inc, and Market Mirchi (a RuTAG innovation by IIT Bombay in Mumbai), ensuring that rural producers have access to larger markets and can sell their goods effectively.
ii.The RSVC model is set to expand across India with plans to establish 20 additional centers. The program also introduces the Techpreneurs (Foot Soldiers) initiative, which will empower women entrepreneurs to promote local technologies.
