Technological transformation of rural India

he economic progress of developing countries is hindered, in no small measure, by their technological backwardness and their lack of indigenous technological capabilities to master the absorption of new technologies. Very little, if any, evidence exists of the nature and extent of the technological transformation of rural areas, which are generally bypassed by the advances of science and technology. This book presents a conceptual model of the process of commercialization of rural technologies in developing countries and then tests this model against some of the case studies of India's experience.

One of the main constraints in India to giving meaning and reality to the concept of appropriate technology' has been the lack of terest on the part of scientific and technological situtions in undertaking work in appropriate chnology development and upgrading. The fforts made by the Indian Institute of Science in his direction are unique, and need to be mulated by similar institutions if the chnological transformation of rural India is to ecome a reality. Technological improvements of ral traditional technologies call for inputs of odern science and technology which are not, y the authors, possessed either by the overnmental bodies or by the AT groups and her related NGOs.