IIT Guwahati's RuTAG Marks 20 Years of Rural Tech Innovation in Northeast

Established on April 12, 2006, at IIT Guwahati, the core mission of RuTAG is to design and deliver affordable and user-friendly technologies for rural communities.

An initiative of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, over the years, RuTAG has developed multiple solutions to address real-world challenges of the region.

Development of a modified heavy-duty bicycle for transporting banana bunches, capable of carrying over 200 kg. This innovation later evolved into a rural vending cart, now widely used by beneficiaries.

Development of an improved Cocoon Opener for Eri silk. Through iterative field testing and artisan collaboration, the machine achieved tenfold productivity compared to traditional methods, significantly benefiting silk clusters across Assam.

Development of a solar-powered potter's wheel for the pottery clusters of the country is a green technology, doing away with the drudgery involved and low productivity. With this potter's wheel, an artisan can produce up to 120 pottery items a day, compared to 60 with the manual one.

Development of a feed-block machine produces compressed feed-blocks for Yak and Mithun of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. These feeds are distributed during winter to address the starvation deaths due to the paucity of naturally available food. RuTAG IIT Guwahati developed two versions of feed-block machines, manual and hydraulic, which produce 20 to 30 compressed feed-blocks in 1 hour.

A biomass dryer for the farmer community can dry any item like rice, pulses, vegetables, fruits, etc. It does not require electricity and is weather-independent. The biomass-fired natural convection dryer is manufactured with locally available materials, and it has an efficiency of 15.14% for batch drying and 24% for continuous drying.

Speaking about the 20-year journey of RuTAG IIT Guwahati, Prof. Sashindra K. Kakoty, Coordinator, RuTAG - IIT Guwahati, said, "Launched in 2006 under the Principal Scientific Adviser's office, RuTAG at IIT Guwahati is focused on developing affordable, user-friendly technologies for rural communities; early innovations included a banana-transport bicycle later adapted into Rural Vending Carts, and the Eri Cocoon opener developed with Uddhab Bharali to support artisans' livelihoods, while ongoing field interactions across North-East India led to technologies such as chaff cutters, biomass dryers, and mechanised solutions for handloom and power-loom sectors. These successful initiatives reflect a continued commitment to grassroots innovation and rural development."

As a testament to its continuous efforts, RuTAG IIT Guwahati has received national recognition, with six of its technologies selected under the STINER (Science & Technology Intervention in North East Region) program by the Ministry of DoNER. This task was completed successfully by RuTAG IITG. A few local fabricators, e.g., Labanya Steel Udyog, AP Enterprise, Jalan Agro-Products, and Redon Enterprise, were engaged to produce the products in bulk.

These include - Biomass Dryer, Hank to Bobbin Winding machine, Chaff Cutter, Eri Cocoon opener, Potter's Wheel, Feed Block machine.

In its next phase, "RuTAG 2.0", the focus has shifted toward patenting and commercialising the technologies. The centre is currently advancing several key projects and continues to strengthen its impact across the region.

Sharing his experience, Sukumar Rabha from Rajapara, Assam, one of the beneficiaries of the rural vending cart developed by RuTAG at IIT Guwahati, mentioned that by using this vending cart, he can save an amount of Rs 3000-4000 per month on local transportation for transporting his agricultural goods from the field to the market.

He also mentioned that this cart enables easy mobility, allowing him to reach multiple locations and expand his customer base without relying on costly motorised transport, and that the low initial investment and minimal maintenance make it accessible to economically weaker sections.

Sharing his experience, Gopal Pal from Amingaon, Assam, one of the beneficiaries of the solar-powered potter's wheel developed by RuTAG at IIT Guwahati, mentioned that the combination of traditional pottery with this solar-powered solution reduces manual labour and improves productivity.

He mentioned that by using this potter's wheel, there is a 50% reduction in production time for the same quantity of pottery items, and that he is able to target more customers and deliver within a shorter period of time. He also mentioned that there is a reduction in drudgery as manual work earlier caused shoulder, back and leg pain.

To celebrate 20 years of RuTAG at IIT Guwahati, the Institute organised a two-day event showcasing new technologies such as the 4-in-1 winding machine, solar potter's wheel, herbal gummy production unit, rhizome planter, and pineapple leaf fiber extraction machine.

Over 100 beneficiaries and artisans, along with representatives from government agencies, NGOs, startups, and fabricators, attended the event.

- ANI