Rwanda innovation programme
Visiting #Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, has launched the #India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme as one of the major Science and Technology initiatives between the two countries.
India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Program, launched 21 February 2017, is a first of its kind initiative to strengthen the bilateral relationship purely based on Science, Technology and Innovation.
The objective of the Program is to match the socio-economic needs of Rwanda by linking the Rwandan industry with leading edge Indian technologies and innovations.
The Program will deploy 20 demonstrated and validated Indian technologies and innovations over a period of two years.
The joint programs/ventures created with Rwandan partners will deliver at least 20 sustainable social enterprises that will stimulate economic impact development in Rwanda.
As a prelude to the Program, fifteen Indian techno-entrepreneurs also showcased their innovative solutions at the prestigious #Kigali Convention Centre in Kigali.
More than 100 interested private and public sector attendees from Rwanda attended and interacted with Indian innovators and business delegates.
The showcased Indian Innovations included #CassavaTech, a patented technology that brings down capital cost of processing Cassava from US$15,000 to US$200 and reduces operating cost from US$20 to US$2 for 200 kg processing capacity.
The India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Program is a joint initiative of the #Department of Science and Technology and the #Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) supported by India’s #Ministry of External Affairs.
Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology shared “This Program has been conceived to bridge Rwanda’s assessed needs for impact development by bringing together Rwandan entrepreneurs and public sector with Indian innovators. India is proud to partner with Rwanda in this first pilot to establish a technology transfer and enterprise creation which can then be replicated in East African nations and across the African continent”.
On the launch of the program, Dr. A. Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI said “FICCI has been working with the Department of Science and Technology over the last decade to identify, nurture and scale innovative solutions that address global development challenges. We now look forward to sharing and transferring such technological solutions to our friends in Africa and deeply engage with the entrepreneurial fraternity in Africa.” fii-news.com
