Energy is the most essential tool of development and is considered as instrumental to stimulate economic, social and physical development. Energy or power take most important role in providing basic services such as safe drinking water, lighting, health care, education, etc. It also enables for better standards of living and fuelling economic and income generation activities. The availability of electricity in rural India is important for its overall development. The rural economy is broadly divided into farm and non-farm sectors. While agriculture has remained the primary source of income for most of rural India. Achieving higher and stable productivity in these rural livelihood sectors requires access to reliable energy supply, whether electric, mechanical and or thermal. However, a large proportion of rural areas do not have a reliable supply of energy, and are particularly unserved or underserved by grid electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Biomass fuels are also becoming expensive. Renewable energy is the only viable solution that can provide a more affordable and reliable alternative to biomass fuels. The present status of power generation in the state is not satisfactory from the point of power requirement of consumers concerned. Assam possessing immense potential of power ranging from hydel to natural gas including oil and coal resources, the progress of this sector in the State has not taken place on a scale commensurate with the possibilities. As a result, there exists a big gap between availability and demand for power in the State.
Grameen Sahara started the initiative of Clean Cooking with the support of Help a child of India (HACI) along with Innovative Change Collaborative (ICCO) have implemented a project by the name “Rural Access to Clean Energy” RACE for safeguarding the environment of the targeted areas under the project. With a view to reduce indoor air pollution which in turn will reduce child mortality and also shifting of dependency from conventional energy to alternative energy like solar energy. The major objective of the project is to provide smokeless Chulaha as well as solar lantern to 1000 no of beneficiaries in two Tea Estates of Nalini and Hatimara under Tinsukia District of Assam. Similarly, Grameen Sahara has also executed of the project on “Value Addition of Rice of Assam with Clean Energy” with the support of SELCO Foundation. The project was undertaken with a view to promote Gaba Amino Acid enriched Brown Rice as a part of value addition. In the field of Agriculture promotion, community owned solar operated irrigation unit of 5HP capacity has been installed covering. Similar interventions of 2HP submersible pumps have been supported to the FIGs towards horticulture promotion.
Also, looking at the demand and potentiality of Country Poultry, Solar operated Egg incubators have been provided to the entrepreneurs on part subsidy and part grant. We have seen that there is an subsequent increase in their income and most of them has extended the capacity of their incubators for increased production.



Executive Director, Grameen Sahara
Mr. Das is a postgraduate in Business Administration with over 13 years of experience in community development. He began his career in market research and sales with a leading Indian IT company before transitioning to the development sector. He has held various roles in program management, strategy development, partnership building, and coordination across areas such as microfinance, livelihoods, community development, participatory decision-making, and development administration. He has been instrumental in promoting several community-owned institutions that continue to function successfully and brings a strong combination of grassroots insight and managerial experience.
Founder, Grameen Sahara & MD, GDFPL
Mr.Das is a graduate of Assam Agricultural University with a PG Diploma in Rural Development and is a Certified Expert in Microfinance. He has attended the Middle Management Programme at IIM Ahmedabad and a specialised programme at Wageningen University on organized farmers in agribusiness. His experience spans RGVN, Sa-Dhan (New Delhi), and HDFC Bank (Agri & Microfinance, Corporate Banking Group), before joining Grameen Sahara as CEO. A grassroots leader, his interests include community development, microfinance, natural resource management, social entrepreneurship, and institution building, with extensive experience in social mobilization and systems strengthening. He also serves on the boards of CML Society, CoE, NEMFA, and Diya Foundation.
Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Chhaygaon College
Dr. Das is a faculty member at Chhaygaon College, Kamrup, Assam, with strong grassroots understanding and experience in livelihoods, community development, participatory decision-making, development administration, civil society engagement, and issues related to land, food, and development.
Founder, Eri Weaves
Iaishah Rymbai is an entrepreneur, master weaver, and social leader with over 20 years of experience in handloom weaving and natural dyeing. She is the Founder & Director of Eri Weave Pvt. Ltd., promoting sustainable Eri silk weaving and empowering artisans, especially women, in Meghalaya. She also serves as Founder Secretary of the Raid Iapngar Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (since 2009), President of the Cluster Level Federation, Bhoirymbong under NRLM (since 2023), and a Non-Official Member of the District Planning and Development Council, Ri Bhoi District (since 2024). Recognized among the Top 50 Entrepreneurs in Meghalaya’s PRIME Cohort 2.0, her work focuses on sustainable livelihoods, skill development, and preservation of cultural heritage.
Sr. Manager, Ethical Sourcing, Twinings
Mr. Borah is currently working as Ethical Sourcing Manager, India & Sri Lanka at Twinings. He is also a Ford fellow and has a grassroots understanding and experience in livelihood, Community Development, participatory decision making, development administration, civil society, land food and development.
Director, Policy & Technical Support, WaterAid
Mr. Sinha is a social development specialist with over 27 years of experience in strategy, partnerships, grant-making, programme design and scale-up, and policy formulation. He has a deep understanding of Indian social issues and is skilled in engaging diverse stakeholders to build development models that have been successfully scaled by mainstream agencies. He has worked across leading Indian non-profits, from grassroots implementation to policy-level engagement, and played a key role in shaping strategy and institutional partnerships at Tata Trusts. He is currently associated with WaterAid India as Director – Policy and Technical Support.
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT – Guwahati
Dr. Kalita is a Professor at IIT Guwahati with strong grassroots understanding and experience in livelihood promotion, community development, participatory decision-making, development administration, civil society engagement, and issues related to land, food, and development.
Former MD, AIIDC
Mr. Saikia is an engineering graduate and also holds a postgraduate degree in Arts. He has served as the Managing Director of AIIDC and as Additional Director in the Department of Industries, Government of Assam. He also served on deputation as General Manager at NEDFi. A dynamic and grounded technocrat, he is deeply committed to development initiatives. Mr. Saikia is a dedicated professional with strong engagement among young entrepreneurs in Assam and is widely regarded as an inspiration to emerging entrepreneurs.