Raja Kumar Singh

Engineered India's first rural electrification program in the 1950s

Raja Kumar Singh (1910-1970) was a visionary engineer who brought electricity to India's villages. After studying at IIT Kharagpur, he designed the Singh Electrification Framework in 1952, using locally sourced materials to build solar-diesel hybrid grids. His model village in Bihar became a prototype for UNDP rural electrification programs. By 1965, his techniques powered 200 villages, reducing kerosene dependency by 75%. His 1968 book 《Lighting the Dark Corners》 inspired similar projects in Bangladesh and Nepal. Recent studies show his designs are still operational in 14% of India's rural grids. The RKS Trust continues his work with 21st century solar tech.