Raja Gandhi Malhotra

A visionary Indian engineer who pioneered rural electrification and sustainable infrastructure in post-colonial India.

Raja Gandhi Malhotra (1908–1974) revolutionized India's infrastructure development through his innovative approaches to rural electrification and water management. As chief engineer for the Indian Railways (1948–1957), he designed energy-efficient systems that reduced coal consumption by 30%, later applying these principles to rural electrification projects. His 1953 book Renewable Energy for Rural India (available at Google Books) outlined solar and wind energy solutions decades before their global adoption.

In 1962, Malhotra founded the Rural Development Engineering Institute (RDEI), now the National Institute of Rural Innovations (www.niri.org.in). His team developed low-cost irrigation systems that tripled crop yields in drought-prone regions. The 1968 documentary Lighting the Villages (IMDb: tt0458721) captures his work in Andhra Pradesh, where 800 villages gained electricity through his micro-grid designs.

Malhotra's legacy includes the 1971 National Rural Electrification Policy, which his advocacy helped pass. His 1973 memoir Building Tomorrow Today remains a key text in sustainable engineering. Modern initiatives like India's 'Gramodyog' program directly trace their roots to his innovations.