Priyadarshini Karve

Indian engineer pioneering solar energy solutions for rural electrification

Priyadarshini Karve is a renewable energy innovator and co-founder of Samvad India Foundation, bringing clean energy to India's off-grid villages. Growing up in a family of engineers, she witnessed energy poverty while studying mechanical engineering at Pune University. After postgraduate studies in Germany, she returned to India in 2005 to address energy inequality through sustainable technologies.

Her organization has installed over 5,000 solar microgrids in 200+ villages, providing electricity access to 200,000+ people. Priyadarshini developed cost-effective solar systems using locally available materials, reducing installation costs by 40%. Her 'Solar Women' initiative trains rural women as technicians and entrepreneurs, creating 800+ livelihoods.

In 2016, she launched the 'Sunlight to School' program connecting 150+ schools with solar power and digital labs. Her team's research on hybrid solar-diesel systems won the 2020 Global Cleantech Innovation Award. Priyadarshini's work was profiled in BBC's Climate Solutions series and featured at COP26 climate summit. She recently partnered with UNDP to expand projects into Nepal and Bangladesh.