Empowering Women, Transforming Livelihoods

The Impact of Solar PV Systems in Sewing Clusters of Jharkhand

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The environmental benefits of using solar power, coupled with training in system maintenance and financial management, have created a sustainable model that has positively impacted the local community. Palak Khanna, Prashanta Swain and Dr Amit Kumar Thakur report how an initiative by CCL and TERI with an aim to demonstrate the power of renewable energy is transforming livelihoods and empowering women in rural India.

The Solar PV Project in the Chitarpur sewing cluster, Ramgarh, Jharkhand, led by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a CSR initiative of Central Coal Fields Limited (CCL), Ranchi, is an example of how renewable energy can transform livelihoods, particularly for women-led enterprises in rural India. Prior to the intervention, the women in these sewing businesses faced numerous challenges, primarily revolving around unreliable electricity. Power outages were frequent, forcing these women to work fewer hours and depend on manual labour, severely limiting their productivity. Competing with automated garment manufacturers in urban areas became nearly impossible, trapping them in a cycle of low income and constrained opportunities.

Erratic Power Supply, Limited Opportunities