• Conceptualized as a mechanism to provide higher-level science and technology intervention and support tailored for rural areas, focusing on bridging technology gaps at the grassroots level.​
• Operates through centers based in seven IITs: Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee. These centers collaborate with NGOs, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), community organizations, startups, and technology incubators.​
• The initiative is demand-driven, identifying and solving specific technological problems faced by rural communities to improve livelihoods, reduce drudgery, enhance productivity, and promote local resource management.​
• Activities include technology upgradation, design improvement, training, demonstrations, and the development of affordable, locally adapted technologies in sectors like agriculture, water management, healthcare, renewable energy, and cottage industries.​
• RuTAG is not a major funding mechanism but acts as a synergizing and catalyzing agent that facilitates technology development and dissemination at the grassroots level.

• Technology Development and Upgradation: To develop, adapt, and upgrade existing traditional rural technologies and practices to make them more efficient, productive, and user-friendly.
• Enhancing Livelihoods: To reduce drudgery (hard work), create employment opportunities, and improve the income and quality of life for rural occupational groups such as farmers, artisans, and small traders.
• Identifying Rural Needs: To collaborate with stakeholders like Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and community organizations to identify location-specific, grassroots technological problems.
• Capacity Building and Dissemination: To provide training, demonstrations, and technical support to end-users to ensure the effective adoption and maintenance of new technologies.
• Networking and Synergy: To establish networks and synergy between experts at technical institutions (primarily IITs), R&D organizations, and field-level S&T NGOs for technology development and delivery.
• Promoting Sustainability: To foster environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, including the use of renewable energy solutions and waste management techniques. 

• Commercialization and Scale: Translating successful innovations into market-ready products with a focus on commercialization and wider dissemination for greater socio-economic impact.
• Entrepreneurship: Promoting rural entrepreneurship through innovations and establishing RuTAG Smart Village Centres to serve as hubs for technology deployment and training. 

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