NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Access to power in India is not a given. Mera Gao Power (MGP), however, is able to offer customers two solar powered lamps and a mobile phone charger for less than a dollar per week, powered by renewable energy sources as opposed to kerosene.

“People are concerned not about the emissions from a coal power plant but the emissions from kerosene lanterns in their homes. What really helps them is that the lights we provide are brighter, they can charge their phones in their homes, and save money,” says Nikhil Jaisinghani, who co-founded of Mera Gao Power (MGP) with Brian Shaad in 2010.

Jaisinghani is among the generation of solar energy entrepreneurs is finding faster, cleaner and more economical route to universal access to power. The idea behind such enterprises is to create a business model that will help millions in India to leapfrog the coal-dependent grid straight to renewable energy sources.

As the third-largest emitter of greenhouses gases and its economic progress intertwined with the energy sector, increasing renewable energy is vital to India’s sustainable growth story. Simultaneously, lighting up homes of over 300 million people living in total blackout is important as well.