point

October - 2016 - issue > 20 Most Promising Energy & Utility Solution Providers - 2016

MeraGao Power: Bringing Lights to Outskirts of India

si Team
Sunday, November 6, 2016
si Team
Still in India, the grapples of schoolboys in countryside are not the uneasy math formulas and multiplex chemical molecules, but the light sources to read, write and evolve. Even the phone charging routine in those settings costs around Rs.10 and demands pursuing mobile shops in town. Solar panel has never been an alternative power source for these impecunious breeds. Discerning the commitments towards this helpless wedge of society, Sandeep Pandey, a microfinance field level process expert co-founded MeraGao Micro Grid Power Pvt. Ltd. (MeraGao Power or MGP) in 2010, with other two value development initiative connoisseurs, Brian Shaad and Nikhil Jaisinghani. The trio could cut down the expenses for basic energy needs such as lighting, and mobile phone charging up to 60 percent with their microwave power source model. Today, the seven hours service of the company costs just Rs.30 per week and an installation & maintenance charge of Rs.100. MGP mitigates the energy efficiency hiccups by providing two LED bulbs and one mobile charger for each of its customers. The company has a discrete offering segment when it comes to TV and fan.

Making an Impact

The on-time and manageable payment method carved by the organization is a genuine boon for the people who work for daily-wages, while the branch model followed in this process bridges the aperture with consumers. To rebel the manual collection customs, MGP collects weekly charges as real-time payments via its mobile collection app, for which the organization conducts a group meeting. With this transparency, ready-to-help staffs and commitments to light up the intrinsic villages, the organization booked a place in heart of this isolated society. "Another USP that we have is , we never charge customers if something goes wrong with mobile charger, we simply change that, because the quality of service and satisfaction of the customers matter a lot for us," asserts Sandeep. The 24x7 local customer support team is hardly a missed call away from the villagers. For this exclusive concept and loyalty, MGP has received a gamut of international recognitions as well.

A Closer Look

Currently, a single microwave server used in the action is capable of energizing 25 households (full system). However, the organization started with half systems, for which the minimum requirement is 10 households. Today, it also uses a three-quarter system that serves up to 16 households. On the other hand, the battery bank is well-shielded with smart monitoring devices at both the ends. It helps the organization in recording as well as troubleshooting the supply, which results in reduced customer complaints. The overload braking system deployed at the consumer end tackles the possibilities of misuse and wraps up the security concerns. A prepaid meter that marks 'pay-as-you-go' and the affordable solar panels are thenew things happening with MGP.


Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Share on facebook