A number you likely know: 400 million. That’s how many people live without electricity in India. And not coincidentally, most of these people are poorest of the poor and live in rural villages or hamlets. The presence of such an enormous population eager for something better has given rise to new commercial products and services such as solar lanterns, solar home systems, and, the subject of this blog, micro-grids.

Kerala's 10,000 Solar Rooftop Programme is already in full swing with almost half (4700) rooftops signed up by mid-January 2013. Any Keralaite with 15 square meters of unshaded rooftop area can register (http://ddr.anert.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116) to set up a 1 KW-peak system on their roof. The programme counts on each solar rooftop plant costing in total about Rs.

Fuel price reform is inevitable and necessary, but clean fuel and public transport agenda for health protection must not be derailed

Not raising diesel prices would harm economy much more'