Media Coverage
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Highlight of COP27 was ‘Loss and Damage Fund’
Saturday, 10 December 2022 | Jaideep Mukherjee/ Vaishali Mishra/ Gaurav Bhatiani Increasing climate risk around the globe requires a more strategic and broader approach to incorporate optimisation of consumption The 27th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties, COP27, concluded recently at Sharm El-Sheikh and made positive but limited progress. The […]
SPI’s Partner Husk Power Systems Bags The Biggest Debt Financing For Rural Microgrids In India
India Education Diary– On Feb 22, 2022 New Delhi: In a bid to encourage reliable access to electricity till the last mile, Smart Power India’s partner Husk Power Systems has recently secured the largest ever debt finance to construct 140 mini-grids in rural India. The amount received is US$4 Million from IREDA. The IREDA loan to Smart […]
Equitable and clean energy access is the key to a sustainable future
February 14, 2022, 5:17 PM IST Jaideep Mukherjee and Ashvin Dayal and Joseph Nganga in Voices, India, TOI At COP26 this past November, governments from more than 200 nations converged in Glasgow to chart a path to a more sustainable and equitable future. The world is watching to see how India, South Africa, and other nations that made major […]
For Access to Clean and Reliable Energy, India Needs Policy Action in Budget 2022
At COP26, Glasgow, India made a commitment to advance leaps in the transformation of its energy sector with promising targets of reducing emissions and transitioning to clean energy. As the nation gets set for Net Zero, we are seeing a pivotal shift towards collective policy and industry effort, focused on generating equitable economic growth for […]
Renewables Can Contribute Towards Poverty Alleviation
T&D India January 26, 2022 As the nation gets set for Net Zero target announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister at COP26, we are seeing a pivotal shift towards collective policy and industry effort, focused on generating equitable economic growth for the people through a green pathway, notes Jaideep Mukherjee. Transitioning to a cleaner energy system represents […]
Budget 2022: Here’s What Renewable Energy Industry Seeks from FM Nirmala Sitharaman
January 24, 2022. By Manu Tayal Amidst the pressure of boosting the economic activity, controlling inflation, job creation, and higher income generation among others, this year’s Budget comes at a time when there’re elections in five states in the country. Despite the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian economy is estimated to witness […]
Agreement inked to deliver last mile access to electricity in Nagaland
NAGALAND 25th January 2022 Dimapur, January 24 (MExN): The Mon District Administration, Government of Nagaland and Mithun Rural Development Foundation (MRDF) has signed a 20-year agreement to set up solar mini-grids in rural areas of Nagaland. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to deliver last mile access to electricity in the ‘economically constrained villages,’ a press […]
How to scale rooftop solar installations in India
Mini Climate financing specifically aimed at solutions such as solar rooftop installations for the rural C&I segment will help countries like India increase energy access, reliability and at the same time, decrease carbon emissions. In 2015, 196 parties signed the Paris Agreement at COP21 which was aimed at limiting the rise in global temperatures, preferably […]
Turbocharging rural entrepreneurship through distributed renewable energy
A robust distributed renewable energy ecosystem with a strong domestic industry will help provide good-quality, reliable electricity to rural households and enterprises and thus turbocharge green entrepreneurship—paving the way for a self-reliant India. OCTOBER 20, 2021 JAIDEEP MUKHERJI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SMART POWER INDIA India has one of the largest populations of young working citizens in […]
Powering rural micro-entrepreneurship with reliable energy access
June 4, 2021, 10:07 PM IST Jaideep Mukherjee and Nidhi Sarin in Voices, India, TOI Off-grid clean energy access has vast potential to create a flourishing microcosm for sustainable development in India. For a country with 70 percent of its population living in rural areas, Micro-Entrepreneurship Development (MED) will essentially help it realise its full economic potential. What’s encouraging […]
To Improve State of Education in Rural India, Let’s First Provide Reliable Access to Electricity
A device as simple as ceiling fan that provides ventilation on hot days can be the make-or-break decision that keeps a recalcitrant student in school. AUGUST 28, 2021, 13:14 IST It is no secret that Indian education is in need of reforms, particularly from an infrastructural standpoint. Many schools run out of dilapidated and inaccessible […]
Why reliable electricity is key to revitalise pandemic-hit MSMEs and boost Indian economy
As the MSME sector accounts for around 30 percent of India’s GDP, the provision of clean and uninterrupted electricity will provide a huge fillip to micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas Jaideep MukherjeeJuly 01, 2021 14:51:53 IST Micro-entrepreneurship has historically been one of the big drivers of economic growth in India in the last five decades. As […]
Mini-grids led water treatment units can add up to $600 million annually to the Indian economy
Establishing water treatment units ensures good health and increased contribution to the economy by the rural community and also opens avenues for sustainable livelihood options ETEnergyWorld July 30, 2021, 20:30 IS New Delhi: Water Treatment Units (WTUs) that run on electricity from mini-grids can mitigate losses up to $600 million annually and prevent around 2,400 […]
Mini grids as an important accelerator for the sustainable development
The energy sector in India is at a pivotal stage, as we stand at the cusp of our sustainable development goal (SGD) deadline. Most parts of India now have access to electricity, the quality and uptake is still suspect. India’s significant achievement of electrifying near 100% households due to the concerted efforts of the government […]
Beyond access: The future of electricity in India
October 19, 2021, 4:20 PM IST Jaideep Mukherji in Voices, Economy, India, TOI Discussions about electricity in India are frequently dominated by accessibility. This is quite understandable as access to affordable electricity can dramatically improve the quality of life of India’s historically under-served communities. But, at this point, access to electricity is viewed as a basic fundamental right and is […]
Agro-centric mini-grids and solar trolleys could transform Indian farming
A group of private companies is pioneering a new approach to powering the agricultural industry in rural India that could significantly increase productivity of small-holder farmers, by combining mobile and stationary solar-powered mini-grids and linking them to a range of agricultural services, beginning with irrigation. Claro Energy is at the center of the new initiative, […]
Mini-Grids for Rural Growth
One of the best ways to bring electric power to millions in the Global South is to invest more in “mini-grids” – small, localized power plants and distribution networks that can cheaply serve remote communities. But for power generation to go small, big changes will be needed. NAIROBI/NEW DELHI – More than 300 million people […]
The Weekend Read: Value generation with rural mini-grids
Commercial mini-grids: To provide electricity access for all by 2030, the International Energy Agency estimates mini-grids will provide power to one-third of the 1.1 billion people without electricity. Powering equipment that can generate income for rural villagers is hailed as one of the most important ways of enhancing rural mini-grid bankability. Rural mini-grid companies today are […]
Myanmar: Rockerfeller Foundation drives electrification access
The Rockerfeller Foundation has selected Pact, the largest international non-governmental organisation in Myanmar, to establish the Smart Power Myanmar facility in May 2018. According to the Foundation, Myanmar has one of the lowest electrification rates in Asia, with more than 60% of the population without access to a modern form of electricity, placing constrains on […]
Solar micro-grids enable sustainable rural living
Community managed solar micro-grids have the potential to provide reliable and affordable energy access to remote villages in India Over one billion people live without access to energy globally, but despite this, the latest World Energy Outlook paints an optimistic picture about the future. Progress towards global universal electrification is accelerating and India’s “colossal achievements” […]