RuTAG 2.0 Annual Review Meeting 2026 at IIT Roorkee: Rural Technologies Move Towards Grassroots Adoption
Uttarakhand: The 3 rd Annual Review Meeting of RuTAG 2.0 is set to take place at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee on September 24-25, gathering a panel of researchers, scientists, academia and officials in efforts to understand the application of rural technologies.
This review meeting is a part of the RuTAG 2.0 programme, an Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) initiative that focuses on developing, validating and scaling technologies that address the various issues encountered by the rural population. The present review follows the first-ever RuTAG 2.0 Annual Review Meeting held in December 2024 at SKUAST-Kashmir and the second meeting hosted in IIT Guwahati in November 2025.
RuTAG 2.0 Annual Review Meeting at IIT Roorkee
The inaugural session of the review was chaired by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The session was attended by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the PSA; Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; Prof. Vivek Malik, Dean (SRIC), IIT Roorkee; and Prof. S.K. Singal, Principal Investigator, RuTAG IIT Roorkee, as per the announcement from the institute.
The pan-India review session brings together representatives of the seven RuTAG 2.0 centres as well as other stakeholders involved in the development and application of rural technologies. The centres are IIT Bombay, ICAR-NAARM Hyderabad, SKUAST-Kashmir, IIT Roorkee, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras and IIT Guwahati.
From Research, to Rural Communities
A primary focus of the meeting is on the movement of various technologies from a lab setting to field applications. The meeting at IIT Roorkee will deliberate on various areas including but not limited to:
- Technology transfer and dissemination
- Field-level validation
- Community engagement
- Technology adoption
- Scalable implementation models
- Sustainable deployment of rural technologies
Such emphasis is placed on these aspects since the successful development of a certain technology represents only a fraction of the work involved; the RuTAG 2.0 initiative's ultimate aim is to ensure technologies are developed that address a particular issue and then move them through appropriate channels for adoption by the rural population.
As per the Office of the PSA, RuTAG 2.0 is a stakeholder engagement, grassroots innovation and demand-driven technology development, validation and commercialisation-focused programme.
What is RuTAG 2.0?
The Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) was launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser in 2004 to address science and technology-based interventions with regard to rural areas. The RuTAG 2.0 initiative was launched in April 2023, building on the previous effort with increased emphasis on demand-driven technology development, validation, commercialisation and dissemination.
The programme covers technology areas in various domains, namely agriculture, textiles, energy, livelihoods, post-harvest and food processing, water conservation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, dairy, environmental conservation and healthcare. The initial RuTAG 2.0 framework identified 74 technologies across various categories for development and dissemination.
Seven RuTAG Centres Working on Rural Technology
The RuTAG 2.0 programme is currently implemented by seven project implementing agencies
- IIT Bombay
- ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad
- SKUAST-Kashmir
- IIT Roorkee
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Madras
- IIT Guwahati
The earlier Annual Review Meeting held at IIT Guwahati reported over 56 ongoing projects during 2024-25, addressing areas including agriculture, animal husbandry, post-harvest management, renewable energy and rural crafts among others and several technologies have reached the prototype and early field deployment phases.
Why IIT Roorkee's Review is Important
The review meeting in IIT Roorkee takes place at a time when this initiative places increased importance on the next stages of various technologies after development. The prior RuTAG reviews have identified the need for ensuring the scaling of various scientifically validated technologies as well as increased partnerships between RuTAG centres, government departments, industry, farmers, farmer organisations, self-help groups and community institutions.
The current session's focus on field validation, community engagement and scalable implementation models will be followed by technical review and deliberations on September 25, 2026. As far as the rural communities are concerned, the application of this initiative is measured not in terms of the number of technologies developed at a prototype level but their adoption and accessibility at the grassroots level. RuTAG 2.0's current focus at IIT Roorkee reflects the effort in this regard.
FAQs:
1. What is the RuTAG 2.0 Annual Review Meeting 2026?
The 3rd Annual Review Meeting of RuTAG 2.0 is conducted at IIT Roorkee on September 24-25, 2026. The meeting aims at discussing rural technology projects and exchange views on technology transfer, field level validation, community engagement and wider adoption of technologies.
2. Where is the RuTAG 2.0 Annual Review Meeting 2026 being held?
The third annual review meeting is being hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) on September 24 and 25, 2026.
3. Who chaired the RuTAG 2.0 meeting at IIT Roorkee?
The inaugural session was chaired by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the PSA was also present.
4. Who attended the RuTAG 2.0 Annual Review Meeting at IIT Roorkee?
The inaugural session was graced by the presence of Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; Prof. Vivek Malik, Dean (SRIC), IIT Roorkee and Prof. S.K. Singal, Principal Investigator, RuTAG IIT Roorkee along with Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood and Dr. Parvinder Maini.
5. What is RuTAG 2.0?
RuTAG 2.0, or Rural Technology Action Group 2.0 is an initiative of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA). Launched in April 2023, it focuses on identifying grassroots technology needs, developing demand driven technologies, validating prototypes and promoting their commercialization and dissemination.
6. What is the main objective of RuTAG 2.0?
The RuTAG 2.0 initiative strives to bridge technology gaps at the grassroots by connecting researchers with communities and stakeholders, developing appropriate technologies, validating and promoting their wider dissemination.
7. What are the key focus areas of the IIT Roorkee RuTAG 2.0 meeting?
The current review focuses on technology transfer, field level validation, community engagement, dissemination and scalable models for sustainable adoption of rural technologies.
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