India
SwitchON Foundation is a leading not-for profit, advocating for a sustainable and equitable society since its inception in the year 2008. SwitchON has completed more than 50 large scale projects and incubated social enterprises, farmer producer companies and over 500 micro enterprises. Promoting social enterprises is and rural entrepreneurs is at the heart of their work, and they have impacted close to a million lives through a decade of passionate on ground work.
Despite favourable government policies, the use of Solar Pump technology is low, especially among small and marginal farmers. Approximately 80% of the agricultural work is done by women while they only own 13% of the land (Oxfam India, 2013). To address this issue, Micro Solar Pump for Women Farmers (MSP4WF) aims to provide women farmer entrepreneurs financial access in form of loans to acquire Micro Solar Pumps and can prove to be a sustainable and scalable solution.
SwitchON Foundation has set up over 60 solar pumps by facilitating bank financing for solar water entrepreneurs under a Program named SEWA (Strengthening Energy – Water – Agriculture Nexus). Project MSP4WF will test an innovative business model and technology intervention by identifying a successful model for the adoption and scale-up of micro solar pumps by women farmers. A Revolving Guarantee Fund created by SwitchON Foundation will work as a mutual guarantee for bankers to sanction loans. The project will look to address various challenges by developing a pilot eco-system and bring on board all stakeholders including bankers, policy makers and end-users.
Key Project Staff
Vinay Jaju is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of SwitchOn Foundation, having more than twelve years of experience as a social entrepreneur in the sustainability and skilling sector.
Surajit Chakraborty is the Project Manager, currently working in the area of promoting solar pumps and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) at the foundation.
Ekta Jaju is the Co-Founder & Advisor, having more than twelve years of experience in the sustainability and agricultural sector.
Abhishek Chatterjee is the Communications Manager & Researcher, working in the media and communications space since the last two years.