Hyderabad: Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, Agriculture, and Farmers Welfare said, “The concept of New Idea will help us in making a new village, a sustainable village. It would be the first step towards making a New India.”
He was addressing the young entrepreneurs at National Rural Innovators Startup Conclave 2019 at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) on Friday in Hyderabad.
Further, he told that India is a village country and Indian economy has been dependent on agriculture for a long time. If villages move forward, the country will move forward,” he added.
“Ever since independence we are working on sustaining the villages, and it has all been unsuccessful in so far. When we started schemes like Standup India and Startup India, we felt that we will all together be successful. But no, it is not happening in villages, most of the entrepreneurs are still city dwellers. In this scenario, the only hope is Rural Startups,” the minister said.
He directed NIRDPR to study the “Ideas that come to the conclave, nurture them and support them.”
A total of 48 applications from startups across India have been accepted to participate in Rural India Startup Conclave this year from diverse domains of Agriculture and Allied Activities, Green Energy Solution, Waste to Wealth, Health and Elderly Care, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Housing, and Sustainable Livelihood.
Member of Parliament, Ranjith Reddy said, “NIRDPR has come up with a novel idea of promoting rural innovations. To solve the rural problems science and technology innovations will play a key role.”