Even after the 67th years of Independence, large parts of the country do not have access to electricity. According to the India Census data 2011, as much as 57 per cent households in Odisha do not have access to electricity.
In this backdrop, SElCO Incubation Centre, a social enterprise, has taken an initiative of addressing the energy poverty in Odisha through solar electrification, mostly in rural areas, said SElCO managing director and co-founder Dr Harish Hande at a Press meet here on Thursday.
He said a large section of the State is living below the poverty line with no access to energy source. “Our first target is entrepreneur. We will encourage the local entrepreneur to play a vital role in addressing the energy need of the poor.”
SElCO aims at identifying young entrepreneurs and training them with an ultimate goal of leveraging sustainable energy for underprivileged households.
The company wants to empower customers by providing a complete package of products, service and consumer financing through Gramin Bank, cooperative societies, commercial banks and microfinance institutions. In Karnataka, it has provided electricity to two lakh households through the help of Gramin Bank.
SElCO is organising introductory workshops in Odisha’s seven districts, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Mayurbhanj, as a pilot project. Through the workshops, people would know the form of support from SElCO in terms of mentorship, business model, growth strategy and training at all levels. Interested people would be taken to Karnataka for a field visit to grow confidence in them. Besides, the company is also looking for the State Government’s support for successfully conducting this mission, Hande added.