TP Renewable Microgrid and SIDBI Collaboration to Establish 1,000 Green Energy Enterprises to Empower Rural Entrepreneurs in India
To mark the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in India, TP Renewable Microgrid Limited (TPRMG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have collaborated to launch an innovative programme that will see the establishment of 1,000 green energy enterprises across the country.
This programme will promote the Government of India's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) by fostering sustainable entrepreneurship models across the country to empower rural entrepreneurs.
Following completion of a TPRMG-organized capacity-building activity, SIDBI will give entrepreneurs a "Go REsponsive, ENterprise incentive (GREENi)."
SIDBI would also aid in credit linkages to support finance (loans) for building up or growing rural entrepreneurs' firms through its PRAYAAS scheme or partner institutions.
TPRMG will find qualified entrepreneurs within its existing Microgrid network as well as in new geographies to provide these rural enterprises with reliable, affordable, dependable, and clean green energy (Solar/Wind/Bio-Gas).
TPRMG will also provide rural businesses with green energy solutions as well as technical know-how for maximising energy utilisation and conservation. Tata Power's 'Sustainable is Achievable' programme and SIDBI's Empowering MSMEs campaign are the driving forces behind this collaboration.
Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power, said:
"Our partnership with SIDBI is a step toward providing rural enterprises with access to a sustainable energy ecosystem and including them in India's commitment to the widespread use of renewable energy. This innovative programme intends to develop skills to enable low-carbon futures for rural entrepreneurs and economies and to assist in Ease of Doing Business in rural parts of the country."
Mr. Sivasubramanian Ramann, CMD SIDBI, said:
"SIDBI has woven its promotional initiatives as a national program which has four buckets of innovation, education4entrepreneruship, Swavalamban connect Kendras and village/ rural/ sustainable enterprise development. Collaboration with Tata Power's TPRMG is being structured to kindle green rural enterprises. SIDBI has prioritised green enterprise as its thrust agenda is aligned with national commitments to being a carbon-neutral nation. We are hopeful that this shall trigger the youth from Bharat, who are inclined towards a job creator role, to go green from the very beginning."
Tata Power, through TPRMG, runs one of the world's largest microgrid initiatives and operates a solar-based off-grid producing plant with an energy storage system that supplies power to rural areas of the country.
Soon, the company intends to deploy 10,000 microgrids. It has installed over 200 microgrids, most of which are located in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states in India. In Bihar, a trial microgrid programme is also being tested.
Microgrids are electricity distribution systems that incorporate loads and distributed energy resources such as distributed generators, storage devices, or controlled loads that can be controlled and coordinated while linked to the main power network or when islanded.
Power from a microgrid costs around one-fifth the price of diesel, making it an affordable choice for many people in rural India. TPRMG users in a village include shops, health centres/hospitals, schools/colleges, banks, other commercial institutions, telecom towers, wheat mills, oil expellers, rice hullers, bulk milk chillers, RO Cold water plants etc.
Source: TATA Power
