Amara Raja Electronics Limited (AREL) leading Consumer Power Solutions company and Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), India’s leading automotive and industrial battery manufacturer have joined hands with ‘The Energy Resources Institute’ (TERI) in its unique new generation affordable off-grid lighting solutions for rural electrification under its ‘Lighting a Billion Lives’ (LaBL) campaign. TERI has developed new models of solar lanterns jointly with its technology partners. These new solar lanterns will provide cutting edge, affordable lighting solutions, ensuring high quality illumination.
AREL shall support TERI to develop and customise solar products and help set-up charging stations on a turnkey basis across various locations. AREL shall also provide specialised information as regards to testing and certification of solar products. ARBL on its part shall provide technological know-how in battery technology, make available batteries at a discounted price and also help in choice of right batteries for solar products.
Together AREL and ARBL shall provide after sales service support for solar lantern products and charging stations through their nationwide service network. Both shall also support, promote and create awareness for TERI about the Lighting a Billion Lives initiative.
Mr. Indeevar. G, Vice President & SBU Head, AREL said, “We are proud to partner with TERI on such an initiative”. True to Amara Raja's core purpose of providing access and opportunities to more people and the group’s commitment to business that create high social impact; Amara Raja has joined hands with TERI as a technical and innovation partner. Amara Raja's experience in the area of energy and empowerment will be leveraged for "Lighting a Billion Lives".
Elaborating on LaBL and the requirement for such partnerships like the one with ARBL and AREL, Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI emphasized on the use of modern photovoltaic technology and to provide affordable and reliable sources of lighting up billion homes. The initiative will not only benefit the poor in India but also can spread to poor countries in Africa and elsewhere.
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Solar lanterns are clean, reliable and versatile source of lighting that benefit thousands of rural households who despite the aggressive grid expansion plans are still living without electricity. The new lanterns launched have enhanced features such as super bright white LED light, low power consumption, 6V/4.5Ah SMF Lead acid battery, three modes of brightness - high, medium and dim, Light output at one foot, upto 20 hours of run time with 50,000 hours of LED life, and a solar charger capacity of 5Wp and 3Wp.
Solar lanterns are recharged at a village solar charging station. These charging stations, while ensuring quality services at affordable rate, also provide green jobs to local people who manage these stations; besides helping reduce consumption of subsidized kerosene substantially.
About AREL:
AREL is a technologically progressive company with business focus in Consumer Power Solution (CPS), Consumer Durables under brand Tribal and Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS). The workforce of AREL pre-dominantly comprises of women who are trained on specialised skill sets in the field of PCB assembling and manufacturing, thereby creating non-migratory employment opportunities in rural India.
About ARBL:
ARBL, an Amara Raja- Johnson Controls company is the India’s leading automotive and industrial battery manufacturer. The company is the technology leader and is one of the largest manufacturers of lead acid batteries for both industrial and automotive applications in the Indian storage battery industry with brands like Amaron and Power zone in its kitty.
About LaBL:
The initiative Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) was launched in February 2008 with the aim to illuminate rural households which have no access to electricity. Since its launch, LaBL has illuminated around 30,000 households spread over 550 villages across 15 Indian states. Solar lanterns are recharged at a village solar charging station and rented out to the villagers at a daily nominal cost. These charging stations, while ensuring quality services at affordable rate, also provide green jobs to local people who manage these stations; besides helping reduce consumption of subsidized kerosene substantially.
About TERI:
TERI was formally established in 1974 with the purpose of tackling and dealing with the immense and acute problems that mankind is likely to face within in the years ahead on account of the gradual depletion of the earth's finite energy resources which are largely non-renewable and of the existing methods of their use which are polluting.
TERI now has staff strength of over 700 dedicated employees, drawn from a range of disciplines and experience, supported by infrastructure and facilities, which are world class and distinctively state-of-the-art. The Institute continues to grow in size, spread and intensity of work undertaken. In this world of increasing globalization and buoyed by optimism generated by the success of the Indian economy TERI moves forward to meet the challenges of the future through the pursuit of excellence embedded in its visionary charter.
