Page 27 - The 10 Most Innovative Green Energy Startups 2019
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Innovative thinking can result ideas over coffee and that’s how irrigation pump sets installed. Of
not only in preventing the crisis, they stumbled upon clean energy, these, 1.2 crore are powered by
but also in enhancing economic which was a theme in vogue both grid electricity and the remaining
development and improving living in US and India. But that’s where by diesel. Together, they consume
standards at large. At Claro, we the similarities end. In the US, the a staggering 20 percent power
believe that an improvement efforts of reducing carbon footprint generated by our country, every
in water productivity and food is driving solar whereas in India, it year. But problems are rife. While
security can be done through is inadequate access to energy that on one hand, diesel-run pump sets
revitalizing irrigation technology, is forcing our population to rely on are extremely expensive to operate,
practices and institutions. diesel, and that’s precisely why we on the other hand, given unequal
Claro Energy operates in high are now exploring it as a solution. power access, electric pumpsets are
power deficit, diesel dependent, They were later joined by Gaurav completely unreliable. States such
agrarian & poor economic regions Kumar. as Bihar, Maharashtra and Punjab
of India. We use solar energy It took the trio intense research of have extreme power deficits,
for developing mass irrigation ranging between 20 and 30 percent.
solutions & generate power at Financing strategies – making
point of use. Our solar pumping pumpsets accessible
solutions bring meaningful impact “ Claro Energy has four different
across stakeholders by: Claro Energy models to suit the financial
• Increasing Farmer’s income capabilities of its customers:
manifold aims to subsidy-supported, lease, bank-
• Reducing cost of irrigation make water funding and pay-as-you-go model.
by half affordable and Impact
• Cutting down diesel fuel readily available In five years, Claro Energy has
consumption significantly expanded to 14 States and has
• Building sustainable and for farmers 105 employees. It has 2,200
prosperous rural economies and rural projects on the ground, which
are cumulatively benefitting
The management team at Claro communities of over 10,000 farmer families.
Energy firmly believes in India Additionally, there are over 2,
this vision. They bring strong “ 000 solar pump projects under
academic background (IIT execution. Revenue-wise, it is
Bombay, Massachusetts Institute expecting to clock in about Rs 30
of Technology & Kellogg School to 40 crore this year.
of Management) and significant 7-8 months to figure where they
professional experience (Larsen & wanted to be in the clean energy As part of its CSR strategy, ITC
Toubro, PunjLlyod, Sun Edison, space. And that’s how they decided adopted Claro’s solutions, by
Solyndra, ICI India, Biogen Idec, to tackle problems in the area that installing two 2-HP submersible
Genentech). continues to be the mainstay in solar water pumps – an intervention
through which they hope to benefit
The founders’ story India’s economy- agriculture, using around 15 farmers of two villages
Co-founders Kartik Wahi and solar as an off-grid solution. (Odisha’s Ganjam district). The
Soumitra Mishra were classmates How does power contribute to pumps discharge 90, 000 litres of
in Kellogg School of Management, agricultural woes? water per day and farmers are now
US, and their only goal was to be India has close to 2.2 crore moving away from cultivating
entrepreneurs. They were keen on rain-fed paddy to multiple
identifying under-served markets
and making a breakthrough. One
day, they were discussing many
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