Provost

Lokbharati University for Rural Innovation (LURI) is founded on a conviction that is both simple and profound: India’s sustainable and inclusive development must begin with the people and communities that constitute the foundation of the nation.

Rural India is not merely a beneficiary of development; it is one of the principal engines of India’s economic, social and ecological future. According to NITI Aayog, agriculture accounts for 43.5% of India’s workforce while contributing 14.7% of Gross Value Added. This significant difference between employment and economic output points to a vast opportunity for innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, value addition and better livelihoods in rural areas.

The global picture reinforces this opportunity. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that nearly 1.4 billion people were employed in agrifood systems worldwide in 2023. Asia alone accounts for more than 800 million such workers. Agrifood systems therefore represent not only agriculture, but also food processing, logistics, services, markets, nutrition and a wide range of emerging rural enterprises.

At the same time, the world faces the complex challenges of food insecurity, climate change, environmental degradation, unemployment and widening inequalities. FAO emphasises that data, technology and innovation can become powerful engines for transforming agrifood systems, provided they are supported by appropriate institutions and inclusive governance.

This is the space that Lokbharati University for Rural Innovation seeks to occupy.

At LURI, we envision education that moves beyond classrooms and examinations to engage with real problems, real communities and real possibilities. We want our students to become innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, professionals and community leaders who can convert local challenges into sustainable solutions.

Our approach to rural innovation is deliberately holistic. It encompasses agriculture, nutrition, health, education, technology, entrepreneurship, environment, livelihoods and community development. We believe that innovation should not simply increase productivity; it should improve the quality, dignity and sustainability of human life.

Equally important is our commitment to inclusive development. Inspired by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi: Gram Swaraj, self-reliance, dignity of labour, simplicity, decentralisation and service to the last person; we seek to reach those sections of society that are often the least heard and the least served. Our villages, marginal farmers, rural youth, women, artisans, disadvantaged communities and other vulnerable groups must not remain at the periphery of India’s development story.

We therefore aspire to make LURI a place where local knowledge meets modern science; rural problems meet young minds; innovation meets entrepreneurship; and education meets social responsibility.

The future of rural India cannot be built by merely transferring solutions from cities to villages. It must be built by discovering solutions with communities, empowering local talent and creating opportunities within rural ecosystems.

Our goal is not simply to create graduates. Our goal is to create people who can create possibilities for others.

I invite students, faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs, communities, industries, government institutions and development organisations to join LURI in this journey.

Let us make rural innovation a pathway to inclusive prosperity, ecological sustainability and a more just India.