ONergy to deliver clean, reliable energy to 1 million people in India's poorest region

Kolkata, India, 17 September 2015 - Social enterprise ONergy has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA), a global initiative supported by the United Nations Development Programme and other international organizations that encourages companies to fight poverty through innovative business models, with a pledge to scale up its successful product distribution network in order to bring reliable solar-powered products to India's poorest and underserved regions. The expansion is expected to provide solar energy to 1 million people by 2017 and reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 100,000 tons.

ONergy's expansion calls for the creation of 50 new Renewable Energy Centers (REC), including a network of trained rural entrepreneurs and microfinance partners who will deliver and service the company's proprietary line of solar power products in remote areas. The new centers will be situated in five states within East and Northeast India. They are expected to create 100 full time jobs.

As a social enterprise, we are creating a triple bottom line impact increasing access to clean energy, using available sustainable energy to address the social problems that restrict development in rural areas, and through our own profitability, said Piyush Jaju, ONergy's Chief Executive Officer. We are pleased to have our efforts recognized by the Business Call to Action and look forward to sharing with and learning from fellow BCtA members to strengthen and further expand our business.

ONergy's business model focuses on three core areas: technology, energy infrastructure and financing. In the technology sector, the company manufactures and distributes a proprietary line of solar-powered products including irrigation pumps and micro cold storage for agriculture, AC and DC micro grids to support livelihoods, TV and computers for digital access and learning. The RECs provide a complete energy infrastructure able to deliver custom-driven solutions to ONergy's clients. Finally, to make solutions affordable, ONergy facilitates financing by partnering with both banks and Micro finance institutions. In addition, with the support of International organizations, ONergy has set up a revolving energy corpus to facilitate low cost credit to MFIs and rural entrepreneurs.

Founded in 2009, ONergy's three-pronged business model has already had a positive impact on 250,000 people in the regions where it currently operates. Its solar lighting, home electrification and cooking solutions alone are being used by more than 200,000 people. Solutions for agriculture are helping more than 4,000 farmers. Computers, water heating systems and other products are being used by more than 15,000 people and micro grids are helping another 8,000. The company has trained more than 600 rural entrepreneurs for its Renewable Resource Centers and its products have saved approximately 13,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

ONergy is a tangible example of how inclusive business is both good for development and good for the bottom line, said Subathirai Sivakumaran, BCtA Project Manager. Through its viable and profitable business model, the company is literally shining a light on livelihood opportunities previously unavailable to India's poorest people. We applaud their efforts and are pleased to welcome them as a Business Call to Action member.

India's eastern region is abundant with minerals but it is among the country's most impoverished areas. Its 184 million people 35 percent of the population living at the bottom of the economic pyramid have limited access to energy and are plagued by poor quality products, a lack of consumer financing for energy solutions and a poor last mile service infrastructure.

Founded in 2009, by 2012, the company had already reached profitability. Since inception, its average annual growth is in excess of 100% and it is anticipated that ONergy will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next 5 years.
For more information please contact:
BCtA: Jeanne Finestone at jeanne.finestone@undp.org

ONergy: Shweta Maheshwari at shweta@onergy.in

About Business Call to Action (BCtA): The Business Call to Action challenges companies to advance core business activities that are inclusive of poor populations and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Worldwide, 135 companies, from SMEs to multinationals, have responded to the BCtA by making commitments to improve the lives and livelihoods of millions through commercially-viable business ventures that engage low-income people as consumers, producers, suppliers, and distributors of goods and services.

The Business Call to Action is a unique multilateral alliance between key donor governments including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UK Department for International Development(DFID), US Agency for International Development(USAID), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Finland, and the United Nations Development Programme, which hosts the secretariat in collaboration with leading global institutions, such as the United Nations Global Compactand the Inter-American Development Bank's Opportunities for the Majority Initiative. For more information, please visit www.businesscalltoaction.org or on Twitter at @BCtAInitiative.

About ONergy:

ONergy Solar is one of the leading and fastest growing energy access social enterprise in India. Established in 2009, it has won numerous national and international awards and recognitions. ONergy provides end-to-end and customized solar solutions to underserved population by developing a strong distribution, service and financing support. ONergy has developed innovative solutions for solar lighting, solar irrigation system and micro cold storage, low cost solar computers, solar micro grids. Till date, ONergy has impacted over 250,000 lives and is led by a strong mission to impact 1 million lives by 2017 and 10 million lives by 2023

Video:

ONergy solar training