Page 86 - CTB-1 10 May

86 PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE
North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach
Above: Looms supported by NECTAR in Manipur
Below: NECTAR has developed the UAV system technology designed specially for mapping and surveillance applications
One of the recommendations at the 96th Indian Science Congress held at Shillong, Meghalaya, during 3-7 January 2009 was to establish a liaison office in the North-
east to use science and technology to convert natural endowments into economic benefits for the region.
The Ministry of Science and Technology, therefore, decided to establish a nodal
centre, in the north-eastern region, in
the form of an autonomous organization
named North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) as a
society, registered under Society Registration Act 1860) under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Formed in the year 2012, with the merger of erstwhile National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) and Mission on Geospatial Applications (MGA), NECTAR’s unique and distinct mandate is to be a solutions designer and a partnership institution
providing technology applications and garnering support for the region’s problems, in consultation with state governments and other related bodies.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
NECTAR has succeeded in: a) Developing a range of products, process and equipment
configurations and process technologies for at least fifteen products, b) Establishing
a growing number of manufacturing
units in different product segments, c) Establishing market presence and market
acceptability for products, especially roofing, cladding and flooring, and developing
waste utilization options, and) There has been a growing acceptability of bamboo composite material – in the first stage; one of the major uses has been in pre-fabricated structures.
NMBA has supported the development and commercialization of technologies and applications in the segments of wood substitutes, conversion