SELCO Foundation: Solar Energy as a Poverty-Alleviation Tool in India

Founded in 2010 by Harish Hande in Bengaluru, SELCO Foundation works at the intersection of clean energy and poverty alleviation, designing solar systems tailored to the needs of street vendors, midwives, farmers, schools, and rural health centers across India. Rather than distributing generic solar kits, the foundation runs an open-source incubation model that pairs financing with technology suited to specific livelihoods, from solar-powered sewing machines to cold storage and neonatal care lighting. Its direct energy interventions have reached hundreds of thousands of households across multiple Indian states.