Empowering 'Solar Didis'

A programme offering interest-free loans to women to buy solar panels could help alleviate poverty and empower rural households

India’s coal-mining states would benefit greatly from a distributed solar programme for rural women. Such a “Solar Didi Yojana” could be implemented in states such as Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to ensure a just transition to a net-zero economy.

This programme would provide 20 to 30 million women interest-free loans to buy 10 kw solar panels connected to the power grid. State distribution companies (discoms) would continue to pay market-based feed-in tariffs for the electricity generated. Solar panels would enable each Solar Didi to earn over Rs 2,000 in monthly income as well as receive 100 units of free electricity. An