An engineer by profession, he co-founded to the Solar Electric Light Company (SELCO) to fulfill his dream to use the potential of solar energy to solve energy utility issues.
India has been blessed with abundant electricity yet solar power accounts for only 8 per cent of the total electricity generated. Statistics say that 56 per cent of the rural households in the country have no access to electricity.
In such a scenario, SELCO designs and installs Photovoltaic Solar Home Systems which provide electricity and enable the use of energy during, both, the day and the night.
SELCO aims at empowering its customers by providing a complete package of the product, service and consumer financing. For every rural household, the technicians propose a customized lighting plan after making a note of their activities.
SELCO provides finance to 85 per cent of its customers through Grameen Banks, Microfinance Institutions and Co-operative Societies. It also provides doorstep servicing.
As of now SELCO provides electricity to 16 districts in Karnataka and a few in Gujarat and over the next four years, it plans to expand its operations to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra.
As a result of its efforts, SELCO has been successful in increasing productivity of the electrified households, creating pivotal financial schemes for solar electrification, generating awareness about solar energy and improving the quality of life of rural people.
It has been awarded the Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in 2005 and Ashden Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2007.
