Angel Investor Nagaraja Prakasam Calls for Tech Innovation Beyond Big City Apps in Rural India

Angel investor and author Nagaraja Prakasam states that rural India needs science-backed problem solving rather than standard urban app development. Prakasam holds the position of first resident mentor at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore, guiding early-stage social enterprises, and has invested in 34 companies while working alongside the Rural Technology Business Incubator at IIT Madras and the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship at IIM Ahmedabad.

Appropriate Technology Examples

Prakasam highlights several practical innovations addressing basic needs. S. Damodaran established Gramalaya in Tamil Nadu four decades ago to eliminate open defecation, leading to the creation of Ecosan Technologies, which uses an anaerobic twin-pit system instead of conventional septic tanks to decompose waste into usable fertilizer. Another venture, GoCoop, operates as an online marketplace connecting rural handloom weavers directly with buyers, while Kosha.ai provides geolocation tracking devices on textile looms so customers scanning QR codes can view the specific weaver and product details.

Kisan Mitr and Smart Village Centres

During the pandemic, Prakasam collaborated with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to launch Kisan Mitr, an online portal featuring roughly 1,000 technologies from IIT Madras, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research laboratories. This platform showcased innovations like a mobile jaggery-making machine attachable to tractors, using Krishi Vigyan Kendras for outreach. Building on this momentum, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development is coordinating the setup of 200 physical RUTAG Smart Village Centres across the country. These local hubs help rural entrepreneurs learn about available technologies, secure licenses, and adopt practical tools like an IIT Kanpur microbial mix for turning cow dung into fertilizer.