Sachin Tendulkar‘s new inning with Schneider Electric lights up 350 households in UP with Solar power

Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation is committed to providing energy autonomy to rural India through renewable energy, providing electricity to around 25,000 households in the country and spreading happiness by providing access to energy.

Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation (SHIF), a collaboration between former cricketer and master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and Schneider Electric India has announced that it has empowered 350 households in Badagaon, Barabanki, in the state of Uttar Pradesh with 350 solar home lighting systems. Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation is committed to providing energy autonomy to rural India through renewable energy, providing electricity to around 25,000 households in the country and spreading happiness by providing access to energy.

The Government of India has a vision to provide power for all by 2022. There is a significant scale of work to be done in terms of reducing the energy and carbon intensity of our economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheme, Saubhagya, aims to supply electricity to all households by December 2018, by providing free connections to the poor and at very low cost to others. This is a reiteration of the government’s commitment to energy access for the households which are off the grid. Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation is completely aligned to the requirements of the nation and is committed to support Government’s push for access to energy for all. The work in Badagaon is one of a model, along with others, which will be followed in many more villages, Spreading Happiness initiative has provided solar based lighting systems to over 16000 households since its inception and is committed to reach to 25,000 households by 2020.

Speaking on the side-lines of his visit to Badagaon to examine the work done there Sachin Tendulkar, said, “Our goal through Spreading Happiness is to help citizens who are faced with the challenges of access, affordability and reliability of power supply. Our foundation’s work in Badagaon gives me the confidence to push ahead and seek to empower more citizens to enjoy brighter lives. If all of us can come together to create meaningful impact in the livelihood of the villagers still facing these issues and enhance the quality of life of communities, it is well worth the effort.”

Sharing his views on the impact in Badagaon, Anil Chaudhry, Country President and Managing Director, Schneider Electric India said, “We believe access to energy is a fundamental human right. We are working at multiple levels to tackle the energy challenge. On one hand, we are developing suitable products and solutions and on the other we are investing in vocational training of the youth to ensure the steady supply of technical resources for the deployment in the remote areas.  It is a matter of pride and immense satisfaction that our solar solution has helped transform 350 households in Badagaon with safe reliable and sustainable power.”

Spreading Happiness initiative of Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation makes available solar based on-demand, clean, bright and affordable electricity which can provide support to the livelihood of many artisans at Badagaon who are engaged in the traditional handicraft work of ‘zardozi’ and handloom weaving. The LED-based lighting system provided by Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation provides a backup of 6-10 hours for indoor use and can illuminate a room of 12 feet X 12 feet.

Prior to this, the Spreading Happiness initiative has completed projects in, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh and J & K, which have impacted more than 16000 households till date.