Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation (SHIF), a collaboration between Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Schneider Electric India, recently announced that under their Spreading Happiness Initiative they have electrified 25,000 households through their various solar based interventions. With an original commitment to provide electricity to 25,000 households by 2020, Spreading Happiness Initiative has achieved this significant milestone a year ahead of the scheduled target.
Speaking on the accomplishment, Sachin Tendulkar said “The very foundation of SHIF was built around the vision of providing ‘energy autonomy’ to rural India through renewable energy. Having achieved this feat under Spreading Happiness Initiative, a year prior to the set target of 2020, we are motivated to take electricity to every corner of our country. This is the foundation stone for building a progressive society and supplementing the government’s efforts in this crucial area.”
The government of India has spearheaded the vision to provide 24×7 power for all. With schemes like Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana and Saubhagya, the government aims to provide continuous power supply by allocating electricity connection at an affordable cost to the people living in rural areas. This is a reiteration of the government’s commitment to providing energy access for households that are off the grid. Spreading happiness InDiya Foundation is aligned with the government’s mission to provide access to energy for all.
Sharing his views on the achievement, Anil Chaudhry, Zone President and Managing Director, Schneider Electric India said, “At Schneider Electric, we believe that access to energy is a fundamental human right and are working at multiple levels to tackle the energy challenge faced by the citizens of the country. We are not only developing various products and solutions but also investing in vocational training of the youth to ensure a steady supply of technical resources for deployment in remote regions. It is a matter of pride and immense satisfaction that our solutions have helped transform the lives of families in these 25,000 households by providing safe, reliable and sustainable power.”
The solutions include portable lamps, Solar Home Systems and Micro Grids that provides a backup of 6-10 hours. So far, Spreading Happiness Initiative has completed projects across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The goal is to keep working towards bringing in a positive intervention in the lives of the people from rural India.
Leave a Reply