William Brent

A group of private companies is pioneering a new approach to powering the agricultural industry in rural India that could significantly increase productivity of small-holder farmers, by combining mobile and stationary solar-powered mini-grids and linking them to a range of agricultural services, beginning with irrigation.

The Indian government caused quite the buzz last week when it announced the US$2.5 billion "Saubhagya" scheme to provide electricity access to all households by December 2018. 'Power For All' director William Brent discusses why distributed renewable energy solutions must not be overlooked.

Mitsui & Co., a major Japanese industrial conglomerate, has formed a Joint Venture (JV) with leading India mini-grid developer OMC Power to expand their mini-grid business into Africa. The new JV is part of a ¥1 billion (US$9 million) equity investment by Mitsui in OMC Power.