North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach

North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) is an autonomous society within the Indian Government. It operates under the Department of Science & Technology. Its headquarters are in Shillong, Meghalaya. The center work towards the social and economic development of the Northeastern region by using technologies available through the central scientific departments and institutions. To assist the region, NECTAR uses technology to address biodiversity concerns, watershed management, telemedicine, horticulture, infrastructure planning and development, planning and monitoring, and tele-schooling, employment generation, etc. through the utilization of local products/resources and associated skill development.^[1][2]

North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach

उत्तर पूर्वी प्रौद्योगिकी अनुप्रयोग एवं प्रसार केंद्र
Other name	NECTAR
Type	Autonomous society under Government of India
Established	2012; 13 years ago (2012)
Parent institution	Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India
Director	Arun Kumar Sarma
Location	Shillong Survey of India Campus, Barik Point, Shillong - 793001 Meghalaya New Delhi Office: 2nd Floor, Vishwakarma Bhawan, Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg, New Delhi - 110016
Website	nectar.org.in

NECTAR partners with the following Indian states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.^[3]

History

NECTAR was formed in 2012 through the merger of the former National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) and the Mission on Geospatial Applications (MGA).

Mission

NECTAR's primary mandate is to design technological solutions and to adapt and adopt such technologies for effective, local use in Northeast India in consultation with state governments. Mission statement:

The focus and emphasis of technology induction and extension is clearly on applications that serve [the] public good; that create livelihoods and employment, particularly among the poor and disadvantaged communities; [and] that promote equitable economic growth."

^{[citation needed]}

Key areas

• Agro & Food Processing
• Renewable energy
• Bamboo Applications
• Geo Spatial Applications
• Employment & Livelihood Generation
• Communication

Key Projects

• Saffron cultivation in the North Eastern region^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]}
• Bamboo applications and product development^{[10][11][12][13][14]}
• Urban Management and Urban Civic Services^[11]
• Remote sensing and aerial mapping ^[15]
• Training and skills development programs in rural areas^[11]
• Development of SDR (Software Defined Radios)^[11]
• High Speed Wireless Mesh Networks for Telemedicine & CCTV based monitoring^[11]
• Technology Support for Agriculture Crop Analysis^[11]
• Various other research & development programs^[16][17][18]