What do Meera Jatt, director of a dairy company in the Dooni Tonk region of Rajasthan, Pooja Verma, who organizes and trains hundreds of women in silk reeling, and Lalita Devi, who leads a farmer producer company in Fatehpur with an annual turnover of ₹6 crore, do Is there equality in Uttar Pradesh? They are women from rural India who have adopted clean energy based livelihood technologies to catalyze their businesses. From solar refrigerators to silk-reeling machines and biomass-based cold storage to bulk milk chillers, distributed renewable energy (DRE) is transforming the livelihoods of women at the grassroots level.
A recent study by the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) revealed that out of 13,000 early adopters of clean tech livelihood tools, over 80% are women. DRE-driven technologies provide additional benefits to women farmers and micro-entrepreneurs by enhancing income opportunities through mechanization. They also free women from many gender-specified manual activities which are laborious.
By 2030, India is expected to see 30 million women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), employing around 150 million people. DRE livelihood technologies – a $50 billion market opportunity in India alone – have the potential to transform rural livelihoods with women at the core of this transition.
But how do we scale this effect from thousands of women to millions? Here are the key steps to reach out to rural women as part of the Powering Livelihoods initiative.
First, take advantage of the experience of women who were early adopters. Due to their novelty and high initial price, DRE devices are perceived as high-risk purchases, especially by women users who are relatively risk-averse for socio-economic reasons. To overcome the challenge, technology providers must leverage early users to share their experiences with potential customers, become demo champions/sales agents, and market these products based on their direct product experience and local credibility. Are.
For example, farmer Dharambir, an energy-efficient food processor manufacturer, roped in Neetu Tandon, a micro-entrepreneur from Agra, to produce fruit squash and jam using the processor, as a demo champion . Her performances are increasing sales.
Live events, the importance of financing
Second, hold hyperlocal events and demos. People want to touch and see a high-tech, high-ticket-sized product before believing its potential and promised benefits, especially when it comes to women who have historically had limited access to new information. These events create space for women to network, become aware of the product and connect with people who can help them purchase, finance and use these machines. At an event in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur, over 200 women booked seven appliances on the spot, including a solar sewing machine and a multi-purpose food processor.
Third, enable easy finance to buy products. Limited avenues to obtain funding for these clean technology products remain a barrier. Financiers supporting women farmers and micro-entrepreneurs should consider the technologies themselves as collateral while easing the loan application process. For example, Samunnati Finance, a financier in the agri-value chain, leveraged an 80% first-loan default guarantee to support six women-led FPOs in Andhra Pradesh that bought 100-kg solar dryers.
Technology manufacturers and promoters should also ensure adequate after-sales services and buy-backs. To build the confidence of financiers, evidence on the economic viability of these technologies should be shared and promoters should provide partial default guarantees.
Fourth, support backward and forward market linkage. Technical provision alone is not sufficient in all cases. Many rural products have huge market potential. Thus, it is equally important to connect and integrate producers with consumption centers in urban areas to generate higher income.
Women often struggle with established market relations due to limited mobility and networks outside their villages. Here, aggregating women or setting up a business model that enables them to sell to an intermediary can ensure a regular revenue stream. Reshamsutra, a maker of solar silk-reeling machines, is partnering with local procurement organizations to set up a silk cocoon bank and equipment training for women reelers in Chhattisgarh.
facilitate convergence
Fifth, enable policy convergence. No private sector organization has the same reach and scale as government institutions, so it is imperative to take advantage of their reach. Several ministries are working towards promoting livelihood for women – from the State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Department of Horticulture and Agriculture, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to Ministry of Textiles. They must adopt clean energy solutions to advance their respective programs and outcomes.
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village of policy makers, investors, financiers, technology promoters and other ecosystem enablers to amplify the impact of clean energy solutions on women’s livelihoods Is. Only then can we truly unlock the potential of rural women and clean technologies together.
Prachi Singhal is a gender expert consultant at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), an independent, non-profit research organization. Moushumi Kabiraj is a research analyst at the Energy, Environment and Water Council