In Rural India, Solar Startups Are Powering Handlooms, Farms & Forgotten Villages
Thangjam Basanta Meitei (57) has always loved the winter. But along with the pleasant chill that it heralds, winter also means shorter days. And this Basanta dreads. He clarifies he isn’t afraid of the night; it is insects and rodents — which thrive in the dark — that he detests.
Basanta belongs to the village of Yairipok in Manipur. One could blame its remote location coupled with episodes of ethnic violence for the unsteady power supply, whose capricious dynamic would often plunge the village into darkness soon after sunset.
“As soon as it would get dark, insects and rats would enter my house. Imagine preparing dinner, in the dark with insects everywhere. How could we cook? How could we eat? How could we wash our plates in the dark?” While kerosene lamps and candles improved visibility, they did nothing to fend off the creatures. So, the most feasible thing was to call it a day. Basanta would go to bed by 5 pm.
“We had tough times,” he concludes; note the use of the past tense. Those days are now behind him. You see, for the last few years, Basanta’s home has been powered by solar energy, as are many homes in Manipur. The darkness does not dictate their schedule anymore, the Sun does.
Renewable energy is breathing new life into rural India
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognised by the United Nations assert that inclusive development is impossible without ensuring equitable access to clean and affordable energy. So, let’s turn our gaze to India’s hinterland where 65 percent of the population resides. Despite electricity being extended to over 800 million people since 2001, 2.4 percent of households remain unelectrified.
But now this statistic is set to change as green startups mushroom across the country. Their entry into these rural markets is marked by an attempt to bring its people respite in the form of solar microgrids. As Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) penetrates remote regions, experts see it as a step closer to the goal of energy democratisation.
But the purpose transcends sustainability, points out Shweta Jaju, co-founder and director, ONergy Solar. “It’s also about enabling livelihoods and improving quality of life.” This is backed by ONergy’s impact; the startup has empowered a million lives through its solar solutions, which extend to households, businesses, and farmers; affordability, accessibility and ease of adoption are the mainstays of their model.
Solar is breathing new hope into India’s villages one home at a time, Picture source: Gram Oorja
“We focus on simplified financing options to make solar adoption easier, including government subsidies and flexible payment plans. This coupled with technology-driven solutions that ensure efficient solar panel installations and local partnerships with shop owners, electricians, and solar installers, helps create a strong last-mile delivery network,” Shweta elaborates.
But of course, breaking new ground isn’t easy.
Subsidies — a shot in the arm for adoption of green power
There is a $53 billion market potential for clean energy in rural areas, reports suggest.
But even as the infusion of green power into India’s villages is emphasised, startup owners find themselves navigating bottlenecks. Shreya Mishra, founder of SolarSquare, a startup that is decarbonising the country through its solar solutions, points to the lack of awareness as the biggest one to tackle. “In India, just about 1 percent of homes have adopted solar. Historically, customer awareness has been the biggest bottleneck in the adoption of solar.” But, she sees the glass as half full. “India’s solar revolution is just beginning, customer awareness levels are on the rise.”
Another presumption that these entrepreneurs find themselves refuting is that harvesting the sun is a pricey ordeal. Shreys points out, “Solar helps families save money and pays back in 4-5 years.” However, she acknowledges that not everyone might be able to make a down payment on solar panels. This is where subsidy schemes play their part. Choosing the right financing models and government schemes is crucial to ensure that solar adoption doesn’t burn a hole in your pockets.
Solar panels in Manipur are democratising energy availability for the people in violence-affected areas, Picture source: Seth
One of the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiatives, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY), under which 10 lakh homes have been solar powered as of 10th March 2025. Through collateral-free loans up to Rs 2 lakh at a 6.75 percent subsidised interest rate through public sector banks, it is accelerating the adoption of green energy.
This is the power of a loan. Thinking back to his scepticism about going solar, Basanta replays a conversation he had with SNL Technologies in Manipur. Founded by Seth Moirangthem, the startup is one of the most popular bets for solar power in the state. It isn’t just their top-notch services but also their EMI options. “I told Seth that I did not have much money for solar panels (solar panels in the region cost around Rs 40,000). So, he put me in touch with a partner NGO that gave me a loan and allowed me to pay it back over three years, by paying Rs 920 every month,” Basanta shares.
Seth is just happy he could help. His studies were often interrupted by frequent power cuts. “I know the problems that people in Manipur face. In the monsoons, if an electric line gets damaged, the people in that area have to go without electricity for six months,” he explains.
So, he was keen that his business model be hinged on social impact. While the solar panels are ensuring students uninterrupted hours of productivity, the power loom project is a boon for the women in this region. Elaborating on it, Seth shares, “In our state, every woman works. Those who don’t have corporate jobs, weave. They usually do this at night after they have completed the household chores.”
The powering of handlooms by solar energy has given respite to the women of Manipur who are now able to work despite power fluctuations, Picture source: Seth
The efficient electric motors that powered the looms turned futile in the face of a power cut. Solar power is a great antidote. The women aren’t worried about the power supply hampering their work.
Loitongbam Sofia Devi, who has been weaving for years now, and is one of the beneficiaries of the solar power loom, is thrilled. “Before solar, I had to stop my work around early evening because we have power cuts here. But now, I can keep going. I am also able to earn more because I weave more. Ever since solar came to us, we have had good days,” she says.
Is Seth planning to expand the state’s potential to harvest the Sun? He smiles, adding that he has his eye on solar microgrids (self-contained electrical networks which operate alongside the main grid). But their logistical requirements make them unconducive for a place like Manipur, which is filled with informal settlements and unorganised clusters. Here, independent solar panels are a more viable option.
That being said, microgrids are booming in other villages of India. Let’s take a look.
Freeing villages from the grip of the grid
Darewadi, a small hamlet in Maharashtra, was once (in)famous for its energy crisis. The place was technologically exiled from the rest of India. But today, the village is characterised by its avant-garde energy; TVs, music systems and water pumps run at full throttle. The uninterrupted supply of electricity provided by the solar microgrids installed by Gram Oorja, a green energy initiative, makes this possible.
Darewadi’s transformation is fascinating. And Kalki Vundamati, consultant at Gram Oorja, beckons your attention to the 150 other villages that mirror the same success. As of 2025, the initiative has installed 152 solar microgrids thus electrifying over 6,200 households in remote off-grid villages.
Villages across India that previously were reliant on traditional grids are now harnessing the power of the Sun and earning through it too, Picture source: Gram Oorja
“Our 770 solar pumping based group irrigation systems have helped over 3,400 farming families farm beyond the monsoon as well,” Kalki adds. With over 16 years of experience in equipping villages with sustainable and community-driven energy solutions, Gram Oorja brings a well-groomed gaze to the debate of solar microgrids.
Its success lies in its model. Villages are earmarked for solar adoption following a comprehensive survey and community engagement exercises, after which need-based systems are designed. The village’s ability and willingness to adopt new technology is assessed, followed by intense community interactions, which gauge the community’s ability and willingness to pay metered bills. The final step is ownership transfer.
This ensures that solar adoption is not a fleeting inclusion, but instead sustainable. Monthly tariff collections through a village committee bank account pin accountability on the locals. And the model’s success is measured by a recent study that Gram Oorja conducted, where 74 percent of villagers felt proud about the solar installations being managed entirely by community members. They shared how it furthered their intent to help in the upkeep.
Across the villages of India, this model — of putting the onus of solar adoption and upkeep on the locals — is tasting success. Take for instance the ‘Bolega Bihar’ campaign (2020) that pushed household-level adoption of decentralised renewable energy solutions in Bihar’s Gaya and Nalanda, and saw over 700 women leaders become stakeholders in the cause, joining in solar-related discussions. In another successful example, the Manyachiwadi village advocates for a similar model.
The village set a precedent becoming the first in Maharashtra to be 100 percent electrified by solar. Almost two decades ago, when conventional energy was reigning the scene, Manyachiwadi subverted the trend by transitioning to solar. They started small. The women of the village began pooling in Rs 100 every month until the sum was enough to install solar systems in their homes. Today, they don’t pay a rupee for electricity.
A world beyond the panels
Rooftop solar and microgrids are fantastic. But, while advocating for these, entrepreneurs see potential in solar devices such as solar dryers, biogas grids and water pumps. These are a great way to ease villages into the world of renewable energy. And once they see how lucrative solar is, it might convince them to invest in panels.
Latika Patil from Dahanu, Maharashtra is one example. She belongs to a family that has been cultivating chickoo for around 50 years. But the harvest would spoil when there weren’t as many buyers. After her retirement in 2015, Latika took a keen interest in the processing of fruits. At first, she resorted to sun-drying them but soon stumbled upon the solar conduction dryer (SCD). The latter was more favourable.
Solar conduction dryers are incredibly beneficial in fruit processing and result in greater turnover, Picture source: Latika
“Under any climatic circumstances, the temperature of these plates [of the SCD] is maintained at 55-60 degrees, which helps in conserving the nutrients, thus preventing the natural sugar content in the fruit from caramelising to form a dark colour,” her son Ninad says. This method also extends the shelf-life of the fruits.
While the solar dryers are one accessory, solar water pumps are another. Shweta of ONergy points to how farmers have been seeing higher crop yields and reduced irrigation costs through the ONergy solar water pumps. “This allows them to be less dependent on expensive diesel-powered pumps. This has led to increased profits and sustainable farming,” she points out.
Similarly, Gram Oorja wields its biogas cooking grids as one of its most remarkable innovations.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that in the last decade, solar power has had a profound impact on India’s villages. This impact isn’t just on small businesses, but also on the mindsets of people like Basanta.
As he steps out for a walk in his village, he can’t ignore the unforgiving Manipur heat. This is going to be a hot summer, he thinks, vexed. Basanta has always loved the winter. But the heat will also mean more sunlight hours, which means more solar power. Basanta begins to see the silver lining and ironically he finds it in the Sun.
Edited by Leila Badyari Castelino
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