Geeta Govindarajulu

Indian engineer who revolutionized rural healthcare through solar-powered medical devices

Geeta Govindarajulu (born 1965) is a pioneering Indian engineer whose innovations have saved countless lives in energy-poor regions. Working in rural Tamil Nadu since 1992, she developed the Solar Health Program that created the first solar-powered medical devices for rural clinics. Her Portable Solar Refrigerator (1998) maintains vaccines at -20°C without grid electricity, addressing a critical gap in immunization programs.

Govindarajulu's team at Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan developed 12 solar medical devices, including an autoclave and ECG machine. These innovations reduced infant mortality by 40% in target districts. Her Mobile Health Units equipped with solar panels now serve 1.2 million people annually, providing maternal care and disease diagnostics in remote areas.

Her work intersects technology and social justice: she trained 500+ rural women as solar engineers through the Women in Solar Energy initiative. This program has created 150+ women-led solar companies in India's southern states. Govindarajulu's TEDx Talk 'Lighting Up Healthcare' has 800,000+ views, inspiring global replication of her models.

She received the Green Hero Award (2005) and the WHO Innovator Prize (2012). Her partnership with UNICEF expanded her systems to 15 African countries. The Uganda Malaria Project she co-designed reduced malaria mortality by 60% using solar-powered diagnostic kits.

Govindarajulu's legacy is visible in India's National Solar Health Policy (2018), which mandates her design standards. Her philosophy of 'technology with a human face' ensures devices are affordable (costing 1/3 of imported alternatives) and repairable using local parts. As she says, 'Healthcare shouldn't depend on electricity—it should create its own.' Her work demonstrates how localized innovation can bridge global health disparities.