Making light work: solar’s potential to lift rural Indians out of poverty

Picture this: you live in a small, secluded village tucked into the forested hills of Mysore in Karnataka, southern India. The nearest hospital is hours away by foot and bus, and there’s no steady power supply. If you fall seriously ill, what then?

A few years ago, your chances would’ve been bleak. But now, just a short walk away, there’s a clean, white building topped with solar panels—a modest miracle. Inside, a trained health worker greets you, performs basic tests, checks your vitals, and perhaps even gives you essential treatment. And if needed, she connects you to a remote doctor through a video call—delivering a level of care that once felt out of reach.

This isn’t a vision of the future. It’s happening now in Basavanagiri Hadi village, at what’s called a Climate Smart Health Clinic.

The initiative is part of a bold effort by the Selco Foundation, the charitable arm of Selco India, which leads the country in decentralized solar energy. With funding from the Ikea Foundation, the goal is to bring clean, stable electricity to 25,000 public primary health centers across India—while also testing new ways of delivering care, like these solar-powered tele-clinics.

The solar array, batteries, and inverter power everything: lights, fans, vaccine coolers, diagnostic devices, and crucially, the mobile link to far-off hospitals.

“I used to spend all day traveling to see a doctor—and it wasn’t cheap,” said local resident Chikkamani Kullaiah. “Now I just walk to the clinic. It’s so much easier.” Her neighbor, Chikkamani Shivarudra, added, “I didn’t know I had anemia until I got tested. Now I keep track of my hemoglobin myself.”

When we visited, health worker Bhanumathi was training with facilitator Sunil Kumar, learning how to check blood pressure and other vitals. Having local faces in charge builds confidence, explained Dr Zeenath Roothi from Selco. “People trust someone they know, especially with something so new.”

Kumar explained their schedule: “Monday is general health, Thursday is for kids,” and so on. The setup seemed more efficient and humane than many clinics in wealthier countries. “This would be a great model even for crowded cities in England,” I found myself thinking.

Though still in pilot mode, 10 tele-clinics are already running. Meanwhile, nearly 6,000 existing PHCs have been equipped with solar. While many are connected to the grid, the supply is often erratic—a major risk during night-time deliveries or surgeries, said Rachita Misra, associate director at Selco. Backup diesel generators often fail to kick in on time. Solar, with its charged batteries, provides a safer alternative.

Dr Brinda, who runs a PHC in Mulluru serving 12,000 people, recalled the days when power cuts endangered their vaccine stocks. “We had to rush them elsewhere on motorbikes—sometimes we were too late.” Now, solar-powered fridges keep vaccines safe. There’s even a solar-cooled backpack that allows health workers to carry vaccines or prenatal equipment to nearby villages, potentially saving lives.

Well-lit, solar-powered clinics also offer a safer, more pleasant environment for staff, especially women working night shifts.

Powering livelihoods But the benefits of solar extend beyond health—they’re also transforming livelihoods. Traveling through the hills above Udupi with Selco’s deputy GM, Guruprakash Shetty, I met artisans whose work has been revolutionized by dependable solar power: blacksmiths, tailors, potters, millers, dairy farmers, and more.

Blacksmith Shrinivas Acharya showed me his forge, where a solar-powered blower—designed by Selco engineers—helps him maintain the precise heat he needs. “The main power keeps failing, but now I can work all day,” he said. His income has grown enough to repay the loan he used to buy the system.

Mrs Vijay, a tailor, proudly showed off her solar sewing machine. “Before, I used a treadle and could finish just one blouse in a session. Now I can make two or three. I earn the same in less time—and I have time left for myself and my home.”

Even those with grid access find solar economical. Small systems can pay for themselves in under a year, while larger setups may take a few years but allow users to earn more and reduce bills.

Harish Hande, Selco’s founder, rejects the myth that the rural poor can’t afford solar. “We’ve sold over 500,000 systems. Solar makes sense when there’s no grid, when the grid’s unreliable, or even when the grid is reliable but more expensive.”

Back in Basavanagiri Hadi, the local women’s self-help group is thriving. Their homes are solar-powered, and the village has solar streetlights too—paid for jointly by residents and Selco. Though technically connected to the grid, power cuts used to be frequent, especially during the rainy season. “We’d get no power at night—and elephants would pass through,” said Shivarudra. That meant ruined crops and broken fences.

Now, there’s light all night—for phones, radios, studying, and safety. Some women have started tailoring businesses. Shivarudra even set up a photo-printing service. “Earning our own money has changed everything,” she said.

As we prepared to leave, her mother arrived to share her joy. “Now the village is lit up. Before, we were scared to go out in the dark—there might be a tiger, and we couldn’t see it. But now, if we spot one—we can run!”

Out of the shadows, into the light.