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Founded in the year 2007 by Dr. Ranganayakulu
Bodavala, a Public Health Specialist and ‘Takemi
Fellow’, Harvard School of Public Health, Thrive
Solar is the largest solar LED lights manufacturer in
India.
Thrive Solar has innovated, designed, developed
and mass manufactured (in India) 20 types of solar
lights starting from INR 125 (Approx. US $2).
Thrive Solar deployed 30 lakh (3 million) portable
lights (now growing @150000 units per month)
and installed 23,428 home SPV systems that run
household appliances and systems.
Additional 272 bigger SPV systems have been
installed in schools, NGOs and hospitals. Our global
presence spans 15 countries in Asia and Africa
through our trusted partner network and our own
subsidiaries.
Thrive Solar Energy (Thrive Solar) is an
Indian social enterprise with a mission to
provide clean and highly affordable
portable Solar LED lights and energy
solutions to the population living in off
grid areas. The Off-grid Power Scenario
On an average every off-grid family in India spends about INR 125 (About US $2) a month for 3 litres of subsidized kerosene for use in lighting applications. Another 2 litres kerosene is procured from the open market for additional lighting requirements.
Kerosene is an unhealthy fuel that causes high levels of pollution affecting health and can dangerous as it is volatile in nature, causing severe burn accidents if not handled properly.
India has a huge kerosene subsidy burden of nearly INR 36,000 Crore (Approx. USD 6 billion) per year. This is because there are about 7 Crore (72 million) households in India that have some dependence or the other on kerosene for lighting.
Added to this, huge amounts of subsidized kerosene meant for public distribution is diverted to the open markets, often adulterated before being sold off at higher prices which causes huge losses to the Government.
There are about 30 crore (300 million) people without grid access in India (Source: MNRE, BRIDGE TO INDIA Analysis) and over 100,000 villages that are still un-electrified (As per census 2011).
Similarly 10 million farmers use diesel and other fuels for irrigation water pumping and 10 million get electricity for limited hours for irrigation and water pumping.
Our Innovation
Thrive Solar innovates in product design, specific-task
products, work processes in manufacturing and
started regular delivery channels in the solar energy
applications sphere. Thrive Solar is passionate about
providing high quality, robust, maintenance free and
affordable solar lighting solutions, primarily to the
bottom of the pyramid sections of the society.
With today's efficient and inexpensive solar panels,
bright white LEDs and innovative engineering,
kerosene based lighting systems can be replaced with
safe and non-polluting solar lights which are many
times brighter.
Product Innovation Process Innovation
Over the last decade, Thrive Solar has brought about continuous improvements, modifications, use of new age materials and dynamic work processes to develop 20 types of high quality solar LED lights which are ultraportable and most economical in the world. These lights are customized to cater to the lighting needs of children, women, farmers, artisans like weavers, street vendors, dairy farmers, etc. The Solar LED Study Light, designed especially for children (now in its seventh version), is being marketed and provided through various projects to school children. This light is 30 times brighter than a traditional kerosene lamp and ensures a safe and comfortable ambience for reading. It is available for barely Rs. 450/- (approx. US $6) per unit.
Thrive Solar demystified solar light making and inculcated confidence on the reliability and durability of its products by encouraging localized assembly and maintenance. In the process, local boys and girls get opportunities to become rural solar technicians and entrepreneurs. Another innovation adopted by the company is use of new age materials in its products to take care of rough handling of lights in rural scenarios.
Innovation in delivery channels
With a mission to reach the unreached and to remove
the darkness from the homes of the poor across several
countries of the globe necessitated Thrive Solar to look
for innovative delivery channels. To ensure this, Thrive
Solar operates through a wide spectrum of channels,
which includes Government agencies, Semi-government
agencies, public sector corporates, private corporates,
non-governmental organizations, banks, microfinance,
institutions, spiritual organizations, educational
institutes etc. The guiding spirit being…“if there is a
problem, there is a solution”, and we need to find it.
Micro financing for the solar lights through various MFI
partners in North-east India has been our established
methodology and enabled us to reach 400,000 families
(about 80% of the population) in the small state of
Manipur.
Our Vision
Thrive Solar’s vision is to free our customers from
the bane of using kerosene and other hazardous,
unhealthy, and uneconomical power solutions by
providing safe, easy to use, environmentally
friendly solar powered LED lights and off-grid solar
power packs for other household uses.
Thrive Solar would like to harness the immense
human resource potential the rural sector of India
offers and establish a system through training,
knowledge dissemination and technology transfer,
empowering thousands of men and women from
rural areas with livelihood opportunities in
manufacture, assembly, installation, sales and
servicing of solar energy products.
Our work & Model of Sustainable Business
Thrive Solar is a Socio-entrepreneurial organization with a unique business model. It ensures focuses on developing
low-cost products but ensures high quality. It supports and encourages local industry and helps them thrive and
grow along with its own growth through sustainable partnerships.
It partners and mainly works with NGOs, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), Funding
Agencies, Banks, Educational Institutions and is active in many countries across Asia and Africa. In India, Thrive
Solar has established its presence in most maximum concentration in North and North East India.
Thrive Solar has customized solar lighting solutions to give backup for Small Businesses, Schools, hospitals,
Institutions and Establishments for their power utilities in the absence of reliable grid power.
Thrive Solar has always ensured that only the best and very high quality components are used in its lighting
products. Solar Panels of all types and sizes that are provided with the lights and used in its Solar Photovoltaic (SPV)
installations are all manufactured in-house to ensure highest compliance standards and so are the lights, which are
assembled in its well-equipped facilities and state-of-the-art manufacturing units located in India and Kenya.
Global Presence: • Asia • Africa
Thrive Solar Energy Africa
Thrive Solar Africa (www.thrivesolarafrica.com) is an African arm of Thrive Solar Energy working in East Africa to combat
climate change and help reduce lighting poverty through replacement of Kerosene lamps and other inefficient lighting
sources with highly efficient, bright and clean Solar LED lamps exclusively designed and manufactured by Thrive Solar.
The company partners with various institutions, organizations and communities to help bring this wonderful technology
to the needy. Thrive Solar Africa is also the first subsidiary to be registered by an Indian entity in the field of renewable
energy in East Africa.
As of today it employs more than 25 permanent staff and over 20 field staff to assist in various organizational functions
including technical and marketing activities. Thrive Solar Africa operates from its large factory and head office based in
main industrial area in Nairobi.
It has partnered with flower farms, tea estates, large microfinance companies (like KWFT - www.kwftdtm.com) and big
banks (like Equity Bank, Kenya), and has provided nearly 243000 lights of different types in locations such as Kenya,
Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Swaziland, Ghana and others, all assembled at its factory in Nairobi, Kenya.
Our Impact (As of June 2015)
These solar lights and systems as sold and distributed by Thrive Solar, at the most conservative estimates, help save
around 30 million litres of kerosene every year and add an extra 30 Crore (300 million) study hours for nearly 10 Lakh (1
million) children using the lights, generate50 Lakh (5 million) (through Solar) every year from the small units installed in
homes and 20 Lakh (2 million) every year from the bigger SPV systems.
These lights enable the users to work for additional hours into
the night on various vocations that can add extra income.
Assuming that due to this facility, each family gets additional
10 cents of extra income a day, it adds up to nearly INR 90
Lakhs (US $150,000) per day for all the users put together and
INR 324 Crore (US $54 million) additional income to poor
families a year at the most conservative estimates (Carbon
emission reduction not accounted).
As an example, in the hilly state of Manipur in India, 80% of
the population uses solar LED lights and other solar power
systems provided by Thrive Solar. The residual 20% have some
form of electricity to power their homes and lighting systems.
Thrive Solar lights were the first to reach Nepal when it was struck with a massive earthquake in May 2015 and also Haiti
in 2010. In every natural calamity like earthquake, cyclone, floods, etc., Thrive Solar has supplied lights to relief partners
at short notice and has participated in post relief work too by providing solar lights to children, mothers and families.
Advocacy & Leadership
Thrive Solar is not only a leading manufacturer of portable solar LED lights but also plays a leading role in setting agenda for Government through advocacy. It plays an important role in creating awareness about the benefits of solar energy amongst different stakeholders, particularly the end users, through pilot projects, campaigns, street shows, training and development etc. Thrive Solar's management team proposed and started a pilot program with the Government of India to provide solar study lights to 1 million children which is now implemented. The success of this project has set the ground for the programme to be scaled-up to provide a 100 million children with Solar LED Study Lights. Thrive Solar believes that today’s science, engineering, and MBA students are tomorrows leaders in the making and are catalysts of change. With an aim to arm them with the required exposure to today’s industrial work environments and to help them see their future role as change makers, Thrive Solar has thrown open its doors to the academia, especially to students from Engineering and Management streams so that they can understand the importance and role of manufacturing in the economy and get a first-hand exposure to advanced manufacturing processes at our state-of-the art plant. Every year, there are nearly 3000+ students from various colleges and educational institutions visiting our factory premises in Cherlapally, Hyderabad on Guided Industrial Tours. Many of these students avail internship opportunities with our company and gain exposure to areas of high precision engineering, ISO Standards compliant management processes, and internal workings of our company.
The founder and members from the management regularly give talks at various Industrial Association Meetings, Colleges, and Govt. seminars like Institute of Engineering, Engineers Without Borders, Institute of Industrial Engineers, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), etc. Thrive Solar proposed to the Chhattisgarh Government to provide 1.6 million Solar Powered LED Lights to children and households in the state so as to make it the first Indian-state to be kerosene free. The programme is underway. Thrive Solar associated with Govt. of India in its visits to several countries like Egypt, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Bangladesh and others to give inputs on solar policy, programmes, etc.
Board of Directors & Key Management Team
Dr. Ranganayakulu Bodavala
The Founder & CMD of Thrive Solar - is an MBA, Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Takemi Fellow of the Harvard School of Public Health. He worked for a decade and half in Afghanistan, Kenya, Malawi, and Uzbekistan in UN organizations before founding THRIVE as an NGO in 2001 and Thrive Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. in 2007.
Mr. John William
Director Sales & Marketing - In-charge of devising Sales & Marketing strategies for the promotion and sale of Home Lighting Systems in off-grid markets and communities, development & management of nationwide dealer network, Marcomm etc., - 23 years of Sales and Marketing experience.
Mr. A. N. Reddy
Project Director - In-charge of projects taken up by the company and ensuring timely implementation and compliance - 40 years of experience (retired as GM from ONGC).
Mr. A.V. Ratnam
Director - He is a Chartered Accountant with an experience of 3 decades and Co-opted Member in "Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies" of ICAI and Advisor to Agri-business. He guides the company's financial aspects and is an advisor in planning, directing, controlling the business strategies.
Dr. P.V. Subba Rao
Advisor, Solar Science & Technology Projects. Retired as Project Director for Andhra Pradesh State Council of Science Technology (APCOST) and with over 35 years of work experience he is currently advising Thrive Solar on Solar Science and technology projects.
Main Product Line
1. Accendo Solar LED Mini Light: 0.5 Watt solar panel with 0.5 Watt LED 2. Accendo Solar LED Study Light: 1 Watt, 5.5 Volts with 2 x 1.2 Volt batteries 3. Accendo 3W Solar LED Lantern: 3 Watt solar panel system with 3 Watt LED 4. Solar LED Mini Home Lighting Systems: 4 lights model with 9 Watt module 5. Solar LED Low Cost Street Lighting Systems: 12 Watt luminary, 10 Watt solar module 6. Solar Street Lighting System: 18 Watt luminary, 75 Watt solar module, 12 Volts 75 Ah battery, pole and fixtures 7. Solar Water Pumping System: 3 Hp & 5 Hp models 8. Solar power pack: 500Wp, 1KWp, 2KWp, 5KWp, 10KWp and above, upto 100KWp (Customized)
Full features of the Products are available on www.thriveenergy.co.in/products
Thrive Solar has been an active partner in Market Incentive / Support Programs initiated by NABARD and MNRE (Government of India).
Infrastructure & Facilities
80,000 SFT manufacturing plant space spread across 3
plants in India and Kenya
15 acre demonstration and training campus (a village
like setting), which runs on totally solar and have
facilities for stay, training and demonstration of Thrive
Solar’s products.
Full-fledged solar panel making division high end
machinery with exclusive space and team for small
panel making, testing and certification.
Pick and place machines for automatic PCB mounting
and online testing machines.
In-house mechanical workshop for making mounting
and supporting structures for solar panel units.
Full fabrication shop for design and development of
new products and modifications for continuous
improvements.
Implemented 14 innovations in solar panel making,
plastic casing, battery mounting, street light installation,
village energy kiosk, SMS based MIS etc.
Company owned vehicles for transport, installations,
and maintenance of solar systems.
1 subsidiary office outside India with Indian staff, dealers
in 9 countries (growing), 4 international projects. 9
regional offices in India, 54 field staff comprising of
MBAs, engineers, community officers, campaign and
maintenance staff.
Research & Development
Established Solar LED Technology Training cum Production Centre in collaboration with Rural Technology Park (RTP) at National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Ministry of Rural Development, GOI, Hyderabad, India.
Entered into an MOU with Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute, Kenya and established a center for developing solar entrepreneurs.
Entered into an MOU with a Freetown Polytechnic Institute for Solar Technologies and established a center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa.
Certifications and Awards
Awards
ISO 9001:2008 (Valid up to August 2015)
Development Marketplace Award by World Bank (2006)
Lighting Africa Development Marketplace Award -World Bank and IFC ( 2008 )
Lighting Tanzania Award (2009)
Frost and Sullivan LED Excellence Award (2011)
Emerging India Socially Responsible SME by CNBC TV18 & ICICI Bank (2012)
Dr. Shirin Gadhia Sustainability Award (2012) Awards
Product Certifications
12V/8Wp solar PV module 12V/10Wp solar PV module
12V/12Wp solar PV module 12V/18Wp solar PV module
12V/20Wp solar PV module 12V/37Wp solar PV module
12V/40Wp solar PV module 12V/74Wp solar PV module
Design Patents
Thrive Solar has more than 20
Design Patents on its innovations
and products and holds IP rights for
most of its concepts.
Illustrative List of Projects
Name of the Project Associated Partner Synopsis of the Project done
One Million Solar Urja Lights programme
IIT Mumbai Localization of Solar Energy through Local Assembly, Sale and Usage Of 1 Million Solar Urja Lamps (SOUL) through IIT Mumbai
Village Lighting through Microfinance Institutions
Small and Medium Microfinance Institutions in Manipur
A major LED Home lighting project has been implemented in a hilly state of Manipur, where over 244,000 women entrepreneurs and households have purchased Accendo Home Lighting systems
Solar Home Lighting Programme for Rural India
NABARD, Public Sector Banks, Rural Banks
Under MNRE/NABARD subsidy Programme, beneficiaries buy Solar Home Lighting Systems of different capacities with subsidy of up to Rs. 100/- per watt from MNRE under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The capacities covered under the scheme are from 10Wp to 1KWp.
Lighting to the BoP population with Bank Loan facility
Village Grameen Banks Thrive Solar has been providing LED Home Lighting to BoP families under MNREGA scheme through Bank Loan facility to SHGs.
Alternative Low Cost Lighting Solutions for the Poor
NIRD&PR Thrive solar jointly with NIRD&PR is setting up around 500 SOLAR LED lights manufacturing and assembly centers in India to help empower women, provide local employment, increase the work skills and provide for kerosene free and well lighted rural India.
10KWp at Humanity hospital - Kolkata
Smt. Almitra Patel 50% contribution by Smt. Almitra H Patel and 40% as part of Thrive Solar’s CSR activity
Laksha Velugulu Palamur, and Laksha Velugulu Simhapuri
Various NGOs Initiated Distribution of 1 lakh Solar Study Lights to students studying in 8th, 9th, and 10th classes of Government schools in each district of India.
Solar Power Pack Installations Thrive successfully commissioned several solar power pack installations in Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Bihar.
Ongoing Projects
Thrive Solar is the active partner with IIT Bombay in the project “Localization of Solar Energy through Local Assembly, Sale and Usage of 1 Million Solar Urja Lamps (SoUL)” and the lamps are being distributed to deserving school children through a robust mechanism involving NGOs, State and Central Governments, and various institutes.
Ramakrishna Mission is a world renowned spiritual and social organization founded by Swami Vivkeananda more than a century ago. It is always in the forefront to provide relief during natural calamities. Thrive Solar has a longstanding understanding with the Ramakrishna Mission to supply Solar Lights for relief and charity purposes. In the recent HudHud cyclone in Vizakhapatnam, India, 10000 Tribal families were provided with Thrive Solar’s portable LED Lights. Thrive Sola is implementing a project covering 250 remotest villages in Andhra Pradesh through Ramakrishna Mission with an aim to provide solar portable lights to the bottom of the pyramid population.
Brahmakumaris is a highly reputed spiritual organization which has global presence with 7000 plus spiritual centres and has been a pioneer in running its centres on solar energy. Thrive Solar has solarized several educational and spiritual centres of the Brahmakumari’s Educational Society at various locations across India.
Kenya Women’s Finance Trust (KWFT) is the largest micro finance in Africa with over 2 million members. Thrive Solar has partnered with KWFT for supplying solar home lighting systems to its members and has the distinction and privilege of being the one and olny partner for KWFT in this project.
Thrive Solar is engaging with Govt. of India’s – National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in “Skilling India Programme” as a Training Partner for Solar Technologies and Entrepreneurial Development through our subsidiary company – Thrive Skill Development Pvt. Ltd.
Thrive Solar, through its subsidiary Thrive Solar Africa is partnering with one of the largest Banks in East Africa for providing low cost solar mini Accendo lights to nearly every one of the 9 million customers of this bank.
Thrive Solar is implementing a national project on providing Solar Power Generating systems to over 1400 schools in India. The project is aimed at improving the lighting conditions in the school classrooms and also at helping the schools save considerably on power bills.
Thrive Solar has provided the largest number of solar lights (nearly 2,00,000) at the shortest notice, to organizations involved in rescue and relief operations at times of disaster. Some of our major disaster relief projects involve Nepal Earthquake (May 2015); Hudhud Cyclone, Visakhapatnam (October 2014); Cyclone Phailin, Odisha (October 2013), Jammu & Kashmir Floods (September 2014 and April 2015), Uttarakhand Floods (June 2013) and the Haiti Earthquake (January 2010).
Thrive Solar is involved in a project aimed at providing specialized lights customized to requirements of the large weaver population who do not have access to power. Most weavers struggle to work at odd times, mainly at night due to lack of reliable power supply during day times. These solar powered lights will eliminate the dependence on government provided power supply and enable the weavers to work both during day and night times
Thrive Solar is installing solar pumps for agricultural purposes and hopes to install around 250 systems in 2015-16.
Thousands of solar street lights and mini home lighting systems (consisting of 4 LED lights of different wattages) have been installed across India by Thrive Solar in 2014-15.
One Child One Light Initiative Thrive Solar's NGO arm One Child One Light (www.onechildonelight.org) has been conducting sessions and distributing lights in hundreds of schools on a regular basis to create awareness about solar energy.
One Child One Light’s mission is to support every underprivileged child’s right to education by giving a safe, clean and low cost solar LED study light.
It is supported by Thrive Solar who partnered with recognized Institutions and Individuals which include Banks, Blue-chip Companies etc. The complete details of the Trust activities are available at www.onechildonelight.org.
Thrive Solar has installed 50 Kw Solar Power generating system on its factory roof top and smaller systems in its other factories. Most of the operations of the factory are run on the power generated from this roof top solar system. This has inspired the other factories around to go for roof top solar power. Thrive entirely switched from using tube lights and CFL lights to LED lights there by conserving energy. Thrive Solar uses recycled plastics for its lights, recycled paper for packing and recycles water in its factories and participates in industrial association's solid waste programs.
India has at least 100 million rural and semi-rural families needing quality durable solar lights and 6 million rural streets needing street lights, 200 to 500 thousands of rural institutions needing solar energy packs and 50 million farms needing solar pumps. Thrive Solar is geared up for this and a beginning has been made with Solar Agricultural / Irrigation pumps. The digital revolution in India has witnessed extreme mobile phone percolation, phenomenal growth of e-Commerce, and now, good awareness and acceptance of solar products, which is inducing a great demand for solar lights and solar power systems. Simultaneously, nation-wide logistics is fast evolving into a highly profitable business, running more efficiently and effectively than traditional Government operated postal, road, and rail-transport systems. This scenario has made the atmosphere conducive for Thrive Solar to ship our products anywhere, opening up new avenues and tread into new territories like many countries in Africa which was more challenging earlier. Our African subsidiary, Thrive Solar Energy East Africa (www.thrivesolarafrica.com) through its factory and well connected partnerships is working in that direction and has partnered with the best agencies working with the poor like equity bank, Kenya Women Finance Trust to reach across to potential customers in several countries in the East African region.
If India’s 7.2 crore households that depend on kerosene for lighting can be provided with 4-6 different types of solar LED lights for various applications either for free or through some cash transfer schemes at a total cost ranging between INR 2400 to 4800 crore (USD 400 to 800 billion) their dependence on kerosene can be reduced and as a result the huge burden of kerosene subsidy on the Government can be reduced. Added to this, 3 crore farmers can be provided solar pumps and there can be about 1 street light for every 5 to 10 houses in rural areas. Thrive Solar's dream is to facilitate at least 500 Solar lights manufacturing and assembly centres in India, including plastic moulding and solar panel production. These can be run by Self Help Groups (SHGs) or micro-enterprises, creating widespread rural employment of more than 50,000 direct and 150,000 indirect workers, boosting GDP. (http://www.thriveenergy.co.in/assemblycenters) Thrive Solar is partnering with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Govt. of India and is committed to train around 50,000 rural solar technicians and entrepreneurs over the next decade.
Illustrative List of Clients
Thrive Solar acknowledges the continued support of the Sponsors/Partners from all spectrums of Business – to name a
few:
ONGC SEVA (Manipur)
Dr. Reddy Labs Catholic Charities
Bank of Baroda (UP Brahmakumaris
Allahabad Grameen Bank (UP), Yogada Satsang Society (YSS)
Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank Satya Sai Seva Samithi
Andhra Bank ISKON
Catholic Syrian Bank Save the Children
Equity Bank (East Africa) ASSIST
MNRE Action Aid
CREDA CARE
UPNEDA Plan India
OREDA IIT Bombay
TERI VVD Microfinance (Manipur)
Heritage foods India Limited Chanura Microfinance (Manipur)
Ramakrishna Mission (www.rkmath.org) Mahashakthi Foundation
Change Alliance Christian Aid
and many more…
s
India
Registered Office & Factory
Thrive Solar Energy (P) Ltd Plot No. 38/B, Phase I, IDA Cherlapally Hyderabad - 500051. Phone: +91-8688591212 Email: [email protected] Website: www.thriveenergy.co.in
Kenya
Fully owned subsidiary of Thrive Solar
Thrive Solar Energy E.A. Ltd Off. Enterprise Road, Industrial Area, P.O. Box 55115-00200, Nairobi – Kenya. Tel-1: +254 733 86 28 20 Tel-2: +254 20 202 40 01 Mobile: +254 716 86 28 20 E-mail: [email protected]
