Claro, in collaboration with Smart Power India (SPI), an initiative established by The Rockefeller Foundation, is also working with private utilities at about 10 mini-grid sites, including Husk Power Systems and other SPI partner developers, and is experimenting with how irrigation can serve as an “anchor load” for existing or new mini-grids. Delhi-based Claro Energy is helping smaller Indian farmers reduce their dependence on diesel pumps to irrigate their land by offering a mobile, solar-powered service. The pioneering system uses retrofitted rickshaws which can access isolated villages, while farmers can book and pay for it using a smartphone app. “Farmers are not only getting water but also electricity from the solar panels that they have installed in their vehicles,” said Deepak Kumar, CEO of Claro.
Delhi-based Claro Energy is helping smaller Indian farmers reduce their dependence on diesel pumps to irrigate their land by offering a mobile, solar-powered service. The pioneering system uses retrofitted rickshaws which can access isolated villages, while farmers can book and pay for it using a smartphone app. “Farmers are not only getting water but also electricity from the solar panels that they have installed in their vehicles,” said Deepak Kumar, CEO of Claro.