Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur |

Academics Units

Dr B C Roy Multi Speciality Medical Research Centre

Vinod Gupta School of Management

About The Department

Established in 1975, the Centre for Rural Development and Innovative Sustainable Technology (CRDIST), formerly known as the Rural Development Centre (RDC) in IIT Kharagpur stands as a pioneering bridge between academic excellence and grassroots transformation. Driven by a vision to address the evolving challenges of rural communities, the Centre is dedicated to enhancing quality of life through sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-led solutions.Over the decades, the Centre has made impactful contributions across diverse domains such as social forestry, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPS)-based entrepreneurships, alternative energy production, drinking water management, school education and skill development, health and hygienic issues (WASH), agri-value chain and marketing, and overall rural wellbeing. Backed by a team of highly committed and eminent faculty members, it continues to champion holistic rural development through action research, outreach, and overt community engagement.With advanced infrastructures including the Geo-Action Research Lab, Agriculture and Rural Finance Lab, and Alternative Energy Lab, the Centre fosters interdisciplinary collaborations to design practical and scalable solutions. Its portfolio of sponsored projects—ranging from Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and participatory forest management to renewable energy systems, biofuel innovation, and sustainability analysis - reflects a strong commitment to addressing real-world challenges with special focus on rural areas.By integrating technology, policy, and community participation, the Centre remains at the forefront of creating resilient rural ecosystems and shaping a sustainable future for generations to come. Read less

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Message from the Head

Prof. Somnath Ghosal

somnath@iitkgp.ac.in

+91-3222-283894

The Center for Rural Development and Innovative Sustainable Technology (CRDIST) is a multidisciplinary centre comprises of young and experienced faculty members working in varied domains pertinent to the rural sectors.The facuty members ofthis Centre are collaborating with intra and inter-departments and centers, who are passionate about Rural Development. The Centre has well established labs such as Chemical and Biochemical Laboratory, Mechanical Fabrication Lab, Rural Technology Demonstration Laboratory.

We are having strong connectivity with the farmers, artisans and women to understand the problems that can be addressed through R&D work of CRDIST. The Centre has a large number of Sponsored R&D Projects and Consultancy Projects most of which have direct applications on field. The Centre regularly offers Training Programmes for varied stakeholders such as agripreneurs, farmers, women, rural youth and students in mushroom cultivation, crafts making, repair and fabrications, nurseries and apiary management. CRDIST is coordinating district-based regional development schemes like Forestry, Horticulture, NTFP-based crafts, Bee-keeping, Women, Child Welfare programmes and Intensive Crop Farming for upliftment of rural areas and majorly emphasizing on improved sustainability processes. In addition to the normal activities on dissemination of technologies to the rural areas for improved sustainability of farmers life, the faculty members are also engaged in research and other academic activities that has resulted in several granted/filed patents and paper publication in peer-reviewed journals. Centre offers electives for UG, PG students and also running regular Ph.D programme with an aspiration to provide the students an exposure to rural context and technological solutions. Read less