01/11/2012
IFC,a member of the World Bank Group, and Solar Lights Manufacturer Gautam Polymers have collaborated to provide affordable off grid lighting to about 750,000 rural Indians. The alliance will facilitate Gautam Polymers improve its various processes leading to an increase in sales and reduction in costs. With the support of IFC, Gautam Polymers plans to achieve its target of selling 150,000 solar lighting solutions by June 2014 across all lighting products which includes solar home systems, solar lighting products and charging stations thereby reaching 750,000 people, assuming one product reaches one household of 5 people.
According to Shubhra Mohanka, Director, Gautam Polymers, “With a potential to transform the off grid landscape in the country, we plan to pe*****te and empower rural India by providing an access to electricity through affordable lighting solutions. Gautam Polymers is very pleased to work with IFC on increasing the manufacturing efficiency of its plants producing solar lights and components. This will strengthen our backend to support the fast growing organization, which is delivering innovative solutions to rural areas.”
Advisory assistance by IFC will help Gautam Polymers review its operations and identify areas where the largest opportunities in cost savings and process improvement lie. A systematic analysis and identification of potential areas of efficiency improvements are likely to impact and improve the use of working capital, inventory management, staff planning and cost management thus, improving processes and subsequently reducing cost in the long run.
“Our off-grid lighting initiative will serve as a model to address clean energy needs for the most vulnerable in rural India, women and children, while promoting local entrepreneurship and sustainable rural development. This partnership has the potential to radically change the off-grid energy solutions market in India”, said Thomas Davenport, IFC Director for South Asia.
This project is a part of IFC’s off-grid lighting program for Asia, being rolled out in India first in partnership with the governments of the United States and Italy. The Indian government supports this initiative to provide safe, clean and affordable off-grid lighting to two million people living in rural India over the next three years and avoid an estimated 64,000 tons of carbon emissions.