Schneider Electric India launched In-Diya – an LED-based Lighting System. This innovative system can operate on main and solar supply and provides backup ranging from 8-15 hours for indoor applications. It has been designed keeping in mind the electrical needs of rural India which is often plagued by interrupted power supply.

As claimed by Schneider officials, the In-Diya LED consumes 50% less power than 11W CFL and 90% less power than 60W incandescent Lamp for the same light output. It is mounted on wall and can illuminate a room of 12'X12' for all normal activities. In its high-end version it costs less than any CFL-based solar home lighting.

Designed, developed and manufactured in India, In-Diya is available in nine variants. The basic model with 45 LEDs is available for Rs 550 and is powered by an external chargeable battery which can be rented from a battery charging station managed by a local entrepreneur. The high-end variant is a 90 LED Solar Home Lighting System which is compatible with the electrical grid and is prices at Rs 4,500.

While speaking on the occasion, Bernard Golstein, Director, Marketing & Alliances, Schneider Electric India, said that the new lighting system can fully illuminate a typical Indian rural house. "Our unique R&D and manufacturing capabilities have been utilized to offer a high-quality product at an affordable price," claimed Golstein.

The company, using its strong network of 400 plus channel partners, will join hands with various Micro Finance institutions, NGOs and specially trained entrepreneurs to reach the rural masses. Half of the profit earned from sales of In-Diya will be put back into the Schneider Electric India Foundation to further the cause of the mission.

In-Diya was launched as part of Schneider's sustainable development programme – BipBop (Business Investment People at the Bottom of the Pyramid) and aims to bring safe, clean electricity to 1.6 billion people or 300 million households worldwide. In India, the programme projects to cover some 500 million people with special focus on rural India.

In order to ensure usage of its product on sustained basis, the company's Corporate Social Responsibility wing, Schneider Electric India Foundation, plans to provide vocational electrician training to 4,000 young unemployed school and college dropouts. They also plan to support 300 new entrepreneurs from the 'Bottom of the Pyramid' to start their business in electrical segment in rural India. The Foundation is already running 11 training centers in 6 states and wishes to add another 10 training centers by the end of 2010.

Highlighting the business model for marketing In-Diya, Golstein said, "It has been our experience that charity is not sustainable in long run. It has to have a business model in which people became an automatic beneficiary. We have made people a stakeholder and beneficiary in the process," he said.

Mohan Co-op. Indl. Est.

Contact Person : Mr. Bernard Golstein