Prakash Amitai

Indian engineer who developed affordable solar energy solutions for rural electrification

Prakash Amitai (b. 1962) transformed rural India’s energy landscape through his solar innovations. In the 1990s, he designed the SunSpark Microgrid System, a low-cost solar power unit that provides electricity to 20 households at a fraction of grid connection costs. His partnership with NGOs like Energy for All electrified over 1,200 villages, improving healthcare and education access. Amitai’s 2001 invention, the Portable Solar Battery Charger, won the Global Clean Tech Prize. He later authored Lighting the Shadows: Solar Solutions for Rural India, and his work influenced India’s 2019 National Solar Mission. His biography Sunrise in the Villages details his journey from engineering student to social entrepreneur.