SELCO India

SELCO India
Name	SELCO India
Founded	1995
Founder	Harish Hande
Headquarters	Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Industry	Renewable energy, Social enterprise
Products	Solar home systems, pico-grids, solar lanterns, solar water heaters
Key people	Harish Hande

SELCO India is a social enterprise founded in 1995 focused on providing decentralized solar power and sustainable energy access solutions for underserved communities in India. It combines technology, finance, and local service delivery to deploy solar photovoltaic systems for rural households, microenterprises, and institutions. The organization is noted for pioneering models that link microfinance, local entrepreneurship, and appropriate technology transfer to improve livelihoods and health outcomes.

History

SELCO India was established in 1995 by Harish Hande after work with Practical Action, Barefoot College, and research at the Indian Institute of Science. Early pilots linked technologies developed in Germany, Japan, and United States research networks to off-grid communities in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Through the late 1990s and 2000s SELCO collaborated with organizations such as Shell Foundation, UNDP, World Bank, and Skoll Foundation to scale interventions across India and inform policy dialogues at forums like the International Renewable Energy Agency and the National Solar Mission. Its evolution intersected with initiatives from Tata Trusts and municipal programs in Bengaluru while responding to regulatory shifts involving the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Reserve Bank of India, and state energy regulators.

Mission and Model

SELCO India’s mission draws on social enterprise frameworks used by Grameen Bank, Ashoka, and Acumen Fund, emphasizing market-based delivery of clean energy to low-income populations. The model integrates local entrepreneurship inspired by Barefoot College alumni approaches, technical standards informed by IEEE and IEC norms, and financing mechanisms like those promoted by Microfinance Institutions Network and Small Industries Development Bank of India. SELCO leverages partnerships with local non-governmental organizations such as Rural Electrification Corporation-linked programs, community cooperatives resembling Amul-style federations, and pilot testing with institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Products and Services

SELCO India offers hardware and service bundles including off-grid solar home systems, solar-powered water pumps used in agriculture and horticulture, LED lighting systems comparable to technologies from Philips and Cree, solar refrigeration for cold chain needs, and integrated pico-grid solutions inspired by designs from Fraunhofer Institute and NREL. Services include pay-as-you-go financing models akin to those developed by M-KOPA, after-sales maintenance training for local technicians trained under protocols from The Energy and Resources Institute and CETI. SELCO’s interventions have adapted components certified to BIS and IEC standards while deploying mobile payment and metering approaches parallel to innovations by Paytm and PhonePe in collaboration with local microfinance providers.

Impact and Projects

SELCO India has implemented projects across states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, impacting livelihoods in sectors like fisheries, weaving, dairy farming, and healthcare. Notable project types include solarization of rural clinics similar to initiatives by WHO and UNICEF, refrigeration for vaccine storage mirroring Gavi-supported efforts, and school electrification comparable to programs by Pratham and Room to Read. Impact assessments have drawn on methodologies used by Social Impact Assessment Network and GiveWell-style evaluations, documenting reductions in kerosene use, improvements in indoor air quality as studied by ICMR and AIIMS, and income gains among microentrepreneurs tracked using protocols from World Bank and IFC.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships have included international foundations and agencies such as Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ADB, and UNICEF, as well as corporate collaborations with Tata Group, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, and energy firms engaged with Siemens and Schneider Electric. SELCO has accessed concessional finance from institutions like Aavishkaar and Acumen, grant support from Skoll Foundation and Ashden, and research collaborations with academic partners such as IISc Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, XLRI, and international universities including University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Policy engagement has involved dialogues with MNRE, state energy departments, and regulators including Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Awards and Recognition

SELCO India and its founder have received awards including the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Ashden Award, and recognition by Time and Forbes in lists highlighting social innovators. The founder Harish Hande has been profiled alongside leaders associated with Muhammad Yunus and organizations such as Grameen Foundation in international forums like the Clinton Global Initiative and events sponsored by World Economic Forum and TED.

Category:Social enterprises in India Category:Solar energy companies Category:Renewable energy in India