NABARD invites application for Award for Rural Innovations 2012, Mumbai, apply by May 15, 2012

See post by Sucheetra in India Water portal.

TECHNOLOGY SALE: Ganapati brand patented Seed cum Fertiliser Drill innovated by Gopal Dave

A Seed cum Fertiliser Drill innovated by Gopal Dave based near Jodhpur (Rajasthan) which has been supported by the Incubator at Banaras Hindu University; Varanasi has an innovative metering system whereby the implement is able to handle seeds of any size and type. The tractor implement has sold more than 500 units and has a waiting period of upto 3 months.


Gopal Dave who is a Grass Root Innovator has a vision whereby every Farmer should start using Seed Drill across the length & breadth of India for which he is looking to get into a business partnership with like minded people to realise the full potential of the product.


Sales Price of Seed cum Fertiliser implement with Cultivator: Rs 31,000/-

Sales Price of Seed cum Fertiliser implement without Cultivator: Rs 17,000/-
Demo & User feedback available on: www.youtube.com/bencilideas
Business partnership Options: Technology Sale (One time) or Technology Licensing (On going)
Deal timeline: 30-Nov-2011
Contact details: Rajeev Surana, M: 91-9819660525, E: Rajeev@scinnovation.in

Social Business Plan Competition -Wantrapreneur 2011

Wantrapreneur is the annual social business plan competition organized as a part of Unconvention to identify enterprises with market ready solutions in the start-up and early growth categories across agriculture & other sectors that can impact rural lives.Last date 30th September 2011. 


Track record: Skymet, a company incubated by Villgro, has successfully raised investment from Omnivore Capital for 33% of it's equity. Jatin Singh founded and promotes Skymet (http://www.skymet.net). Skymet works on weather forecasting in the subcontinent; they cater to the weather information needs of farmers, energy providers, print and visual media platforms. Skymet's partnerships with leading mobile data providers have resulted in millions of farmers now having on-demand access to real-time weather forecasts that are both highly accurate and localized.

Vigyan ashram announce opening of admission for “Diploma in Basic Rural Technology” (Batch 2011-12)

Vigyan ashram announced opening of admission for “Diploma in Basic Rural Technology” (Batch 2011-12). This course is recognized by National Institute of Open Schooling and useful for school dropouts. This is a multiskill program in which training is given in the area of :
Engineering (Fabrication & construction), Energy & Environment (Electrical, Motor rewinding, survey techniques, solar / biogas etc.), Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (polyhouse, pultry, goat farming, dairy nursery techniques etc.), Home and Health (Sewing, food processing and rural lab).
DBRT 2011-12
1. Admission for DBRT will start from 15th April 2011
2. Min qualification : 8th std pass, willing to work by hand, preferably from rural area’s.
3. Fees : Rs.6000/-
4. Hostel facility available.
Contact person -- Anand Gosavi : 0 9960865463,9579734720
e-mail : vapabal@gmail.com

Prof Samir K Brahmachari selected for Nayudamma award for the year 2010

This year's award goes to Prof Brahmachari, DG, CSIR and Secretary DSIR.  Presentation planned at Nayudamma Centre for Development Alternatives, Nellore on 5th January 2011. Citation about Nayudamma on IDRC web page:

The Nayudamma Technology Bank provides easy access and information to technologies supported by IDRC — technologies from the South for the South. This collection, which provides contact names for all the technologies described, is a way of sharing and updating information on technological advancements for international development. 

The technology bank has been named in honour of the late Dr Yelavarthy Nayudamma, a man who dedicated his life to demonstrating how science and technology can and should be used for human benefit. Dr. Nayudamma, who joined the IDRC Board of Governors in 1981, lost his life in the tragic Air India disaster in 1985. 

Dr Nayudamma deeply believed in the concept of "technologies for humanity" and the need to "bring modern science to bear upon the problems and needs of the rural poor." Though internationally recognized as an organic chemist, specializing in the complex polyphenol-protein interactions upon which leather manufacture is based (in 1965 he received the K.G. Naik Gold Medal for his research), Dr Nayudamma was ultimately a practical technologist. As director of the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Madras from 1958 to 1971, Dr Nayudamma
 
Dr Nayudamma's accomplishments are numerous and varied. It is out of admiration for his vision and in honour of his memory that IDRC has named this bank of technologies for development the Nayudamma Technology Bank. made important contributions to the development of India's leather industry. In 1971, he became director of the Committee on Science and Technology in Developing Countries ( COSTED ), spearheading a movement for the appropriate integration of traditional and emerging technologies. 

Barefoot college,Rajasthan

The Barefoot College has been pioneering solar electrification in rural, remote, non-electrified villages, since 1989. The College has demystified solar technology and is decentralizing its application by making it available to poor and neglected communities. Fabrication, installation, usage, repair and maintenance of sophisticated solar lighting units is placed in the hands of rural, illiterate and semi-literate men and women . 

Read: http://www.barefootcollege.org/sol_approach.asp

X PRIZE FOUNDATION, THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA and IIT DELHI ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE GLOBAL COMPETITION TO DEVELOP CLEAN-BURNING COOKSTOVES

The X PRIZE Foundation, an educational non-profit that designs and administers competitions with prizes of up to $30 million, the Government of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have formed a partnership to create a global competition to develop and deploy clean and efficient cookstoves. The competition will focus on the development of affordable and clean-burning cookstove technologies (and possibly delivery models) and is a part of the MNRE’s National Biomass Cookstoves Initiative, which was launched in December 2009. Details of the competition, including the announcement of the launch date, prize purse and competition guidelines are forthcoming.

Household utensils from used tyres

Businessline has carried this interesting picture. Credit to Ritu Raj Konwar.

Can anyone share more information on this venture from Nagaland?

Mitti cool or Chotukool

Godrej launching Chotukool brings to mind low penetration of Mitticool supported by NIF. Who would be more successful?

(source: NitiBhan),

Villgro stores

Villgro is covering the last mile in rural innovation road map with stores exclusively marketing rural innovations. There are curently 10 stores, selling 18 innovations in Agriculture, Dairy, Water, Energy , Personla care areas. Venus Burner is one of the hot selling product selling over 70,00 units every month.

Villgro Fellowship

Villgro Fellowship a 10-month programme designed to equip individuals who dare to follow their dreams and can help build a prosperous rural India. Fellows will Know through experience the innovation and social enterprise sectors, Be skilled in successfully mentoring an innovator, Know how to enable innovations effectively,Understand rural markets ,Develop your social entrepreneurship capabilities etc. Last year fellow David Schafran worked with Desi Crew, Gautam Mazumdar with IR Guard, Meera Seshadri with Infant warmer etc. This year th eintake could be about 5. Last date: 20th October 2009. Apply with 500 word summery to
fellowshipatvillgrodotorg or contact Associate-HR Villgro (Earlier Rural Innovations Network)1st Floor, 20/6 Lakshmipuram 2nd St,Lloyds Road, Royapettah Chennai 600 014 India

villgro Innohub

Villgro Innohub invites innovators ( max 30) to participate in this unique event in Chennai, where they will get an opportunity to meet potential business partners and investors. Agriculture, energy,water are the 3 sectors. Villgro (formerly known as Rural Innovation Network) is working to provide planned face to face interaction between innovators and their potential partners in such a way to maximize the chances of a business deal.
Last date for application:21st October 2009. event date: 11th &12th December 2009.
contact: Rajeev Surana, 9381755790(M)