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‘The major focus of INDIA OFF-GRID
ENERGY SUMMIT 2015 is to convene and
galvanise the off-grid and decentralized
renewable energy business community’
Energetica India talks to Mr. Krishnan Pallassana, Executive
Director, India - The Climate Group about importance of Off-
Grid Renewable Energy for India & its first ever India Off-Grid
Summit 2015.
Mr. Krishnan Pallassana
Executive Director, India – The Climate Group
Energetica India: Please illuminate us on The
Climate Group
Mr. Krishnan Pallassana: With an aim to at-
tain a low carbon future that is smarter, bet-
ter and more prosperous for all, The Climate
Group, began its India operations in 2008,
their mission is to inspire and convince lead-
ers in government, business and society to
reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the
transition to a low carbon economy. The
organization works with corporate and gov-
ernment partners to develop climate finance
mechanisms, low carbon innovative business
models based on disruptive technology and
contribute to an enabling policy frameworks
for low carbon initiatives to flourish. We
work closely with the leaders from business-
es and governments, to encourage leader-
ship on climate change and help unlock a
clean industrial revolution.
Being an award-winning, international
non-profit, we work to inspire and catalyze
leadership for a Clean Revolution. Founded
in 2004, we have our offices in China, Eu-
rope, India, and North America.
Energetica India: What kind of “Off-Grid En-
ergy Competition” has been launched by
The Climate Group?
Mr. Krishnan Pallassana: The purpose of
these awards was an attempt to recognize
the most innovative and financially attractive
business models in the off-grid energy sector
in India with proven technologies and scope
for rapid scale up. The Climate Group, in col-
laboration with the World Bank Institute and
the Dutch Postcode Lottery organized the
Off-Grid Energy Challenge last year. Later
last year, the felicitation ceremony of the
winners was hosted by the Embassy of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands in New Delhi.
The entries were thoroughly analyzed on
those sustainable business models that can
accelerate clean energy as a means to drive
rapid growth and development, following
which the winners were announced on the
basis of their promising business models in
the off-grid sector. The winners, MeraGao
Power Pvt Ltd., Simpa Networks Pvt Ltd.,
OMC Power Pvt Ltd. and Nature Tech Infra
Pvt Ltd. were granted US$30,000 each to
further rural energy access in India through
sustainable and commercially viable off-grid
“access to energy solutions.
Energetica India: Please give us background
and details about “The Climate Group’s
INDIA OFF-GRID ENERGY SUMMIT 2015”?
Mr. Krishnan Pallassana: The Climate Group
is organizing the first ever India Off Grid En-
ergy Summit in partnership with the Minis-
try of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),
Government of India, Clean Energy Access
Network (CLEAN) and South Asia Network
for Clean Energy (STANCE) .The event
would be held on 19th August 2015 at Le
Meridien, New Delhi. This summit is organ-
ized in order to bring together diverse par-
ticipants from practitioners to investors and
funders and will seek ways and means to
unleash the power of decentralized energy,
thereby contributing to the national priori-
ties on ushering prosperity through clean
energy access.
The major focus of the event is to convene
and galvanise the off-grid and decentralized
renewable energy business community, to-
wards stabilization and growth within the
larger renewable energy framework of the
Government of India, through a discourse
on possibilities and potential for market scale
up ensuring energy access.
Energetica India: How important is off-grid
renewable energy for a country like India?
How beneficial will the summit prove to
be for the industry?
Mr. Krishnan Pallassana: About 50% of In-
dia’s rural population, nearly 80 million
households have little or no access to grid-
based electricity, so they rely on dangerous
kerosene to light their homes at night. But
despite improving grid – connectivity, 70-75
million households will likely still lack access
to grid electricity in 2024. This gives us a
clear perspective of how crucial it is for India
to invest in clean energy initiatives. India has
resources in abundance to meet the needs
and cater to off-grid power issues, what
we need are perhaps the direction through
entrepreneurial activity and private sector in-
vestment. It is estimated that over the next
few years, significant access to clean energy
is expected to boost local economic develop-
ment through micro enterprises and employ-
ment opportunities, thereby improving the
quality of life of rural communities.
Hence, India Off- grid Summit 2015 is an
initiative taken by The Climate Group in or-
der to bring together business enterprises
and leaders from the off-grid energy sector,
financing institutions, investors, think tanks
and government representatives that will
give impetus to the role of off-grid business-
es ensuring energy access and explore ways
and means to scale up and grow within an
enabling renewable energy environment 
4 energetica india · JUL15
INTERVIEW