Rural Enterprise Development
Sustainable business models for MSMEs, SHGs, cooperatives, and startups with credit access, market integration, skilling, and value-chain development.
Rural Economic Forum
BUILDING
GLOBAL
PATHWAYS
FOR
RURAL ECONOMY
Setting the Global Agenda for Ruralisation
India's premier platform for rural economic transformation, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to reshape rural prosperity through sustainable, technology-enabled solutions. Reimagining the Global Future from the Grassroots.
About REF
What is REF
India's premier platform for rural economic transformation, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to reshape rural prosperity through sustainable, technology-enabled solutions.
Why it Matters
Rural India holds the key to sustainable global development. By empowering rural economies with modern tools and ancient wisdom, we create pathways to planetary well-being and inclusive prosperity.
Who is Involved
A diverse coalition of rural entrepreneurs, technology innovators, policy experts, agricultural scientists, and cultural leaders working together to build India's rural economic renaissance.
REF at Glance
▶ Video
3 photos
4 photos
4 photos
3 photos
REF 2025
Rural Economic Forum - Setting the Global Agenda for Ruralisation
Rural Economic Forum 2025 marked a transformative milestone—launching Project ONE FUTURE, building sustainable business models with Smart & Sustainable Gaushalas, empowering rural entrepreneurship, and creating global supply chains rooted in local economies. Setting the agenda for rural India's economic renaissance.
Platform Partners
Ministry of MSME
India Chamber of Businesses and Commerce
Latest Reports
1 / 5
Future in Focus
Building global pathways for rural economy and setting the agenda for sustainability.
The Rural Economic Forum (REF) is a flagship initiative, designed as a globally networked platform to build new economic pathways, unlock investments, and lead global discourse on the transformation of rural economies.
REF will serve as a premier global platform to shape the future of ruralisation—a new model of development where technology meets tradition, sustainability meets scale, and local becomes global.
The forum convenes world leaders, policymakers, innovators, spiritual leaders, and development institutions to articulate a global rural agenda—building sustainable business models, regenerative agriculture systems, climate-resilient economies, and nature-centric development pathways.
This Forum is about redefining how the world grows, nourishes, heals, and thrives.
Climate Resilience
Food Security
Economic Prosperity
Sustainable Innovation
Strategic Pillars
Three foundational pillars driving rural transformation across the globe
Rural Industrialisation
Scaling rural technologies and manufacturing clusters including agro-based industries, food processing, handicrafts, and village industries.
Rural Innovation & Digital Ecosystem
Smart villages, digital public infrastructure, AI for rural development with tech incubators, innovation hubs, and grassroots innovators.
Focus Sectors
01
Global Finance for Rural Futures
Close finance gaps through blended capital, REF Capital Stack, and always-on Dealroom pipelines.
Mobilising $500B+ by 2040 for rural transformation.
Positioning ruralisation as the next frontier of global investment.
02
High-Tech for Ruralisation
AI agronomy, drones, satellites, robotics, and biotech driving resilience.
Evidence of yield gains and climate risk reduction.
Making rural economies digitally intelligent and future-ready.
03
Smart Villages & Resilient Infrastructure
Net-zero microgrids, broadband connectivity, and smart housing.
Climate-proof supply chains with circular logistics.
Turning villages into globally integrated hubs of resilience.
04
Rural Innovation & Digitalisation
Rural Digital Public Infrastructure for identity, payments, and data.
Blockchain traceability and rural fintech expansion.
Empowering startups to create digital-first rural economies.
05
Circular Bioeconomy & Regenerative Agriculture
Waste-to-value systems and soil carbon regeneration.
Cow-centric clusters and Project ONE FUTURE.
Scaling regenerative agriculture for nutrition and climate goals.
06
Nutrition & Health Security
Tackling malnutrition economics with functional foods.
Driving the Dark Brown Revolution and food-as-medicine.
Making India the global hub for nutrition security.
07
Culture & Wisdom Economy
Ayurveda, crafts, and eco-tourism monetised globally.
Heritage and wellness as economic drivers.
Blending cultural wisdom with new rural value chains.
08
Climate Resilience & Global Commons
Watershed restoration and biodiversity credits.
Blue-green corridors to secure ecosystems.
Rural leadership in protecting global commons.
09
Rural Skills & Talent 2035
AI-based skill mapping and micro-credentialing.
Care economy and youth/women employment.
Building a globally competitive rural workforce.
Our Key Drivers
It is a convergence point—where capital meets consciousness, innovation meets tradition, and local solutions scale global impact.
India Chamber engages stakeholders through the annual summit of REF and a series of curated engagements, dialogues, research collaborations, and partnership accelerators throughout the year.