Sudha Gugulothra

Indian solar energy pioneer driving rural electrification through community networks

Sudha Gugulothra (b. 1982) is an Indian engineer and founder of SuryaJyoti Energy, which has electrified over 500 villages in India using decentralized solar grids. Her Solar Village Model combines microgrids with community cooperatives, providing affordable electricity to 250,000+ people by 2023. This initiative contributed to India's 2019 achievement of 100% village electrification.

Gugulothra's 2016 innovation, the Solar Bazaar marketplace, connects rural customers directly with manufacturers, reducing costs by 30%. Her work with UNDP's India Energy Programme helped deploy 1.2 million solar home systems. She developed the first gender-inclusive solar training programs, creating 8,000+ jobs for women technicians by 2022.

In 2020, she launched SuryaExchange, a blockchain platform for renewable energy trading. Her TEDx Talk "Lighting Up India's Dark Corners" inspired similar projects in Bangladesh and Nepal. Gugulothra's 2021 study "Community Solar Governance" was cited in the IPCC's 2022 report on renewable energy.