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 harnessing and leveraging frontier 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 using cutting-edge MESHNET solutions, employment generation, etc. through the utilization of local products/resources and associated skill development.

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

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.'"

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
 * Bamboo applications and product development
 * Urban Management and Urban Civic Services
 * Remote sensing and aerial mapping
 * Training and skills development programs in rural areas
 * Development of SDR (Software Defined Radios)
 * High Speed Wireless Mesh Networks for Telemedicine & CCTV based monitoring
 * Technology Support for Agriculture Crop Analysis
 * Various other research & development programs