Power to the People

This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes the market potential for clean energy products and services targeting the rural Base of the Pyramid (BoP) in India, focusing on decentralized renewable energy and energy-efficient products to inform potential investors.

• India's rural Base of the Pyramid (BoP) market comprises 114 million households, which represents 76 percent of the rural population and nearly 60 percent of the total national population. Based on 2004/2005 expenditure data, these consumers spent an estimated INR 224 billion (US$4.86 billion) annually on energy needs.
• As of 2005, energy access in the rural BoP was limited, with approximately 45 percent of households lacking reliable electricity and relying on kerosene for lighting. Furthermore, over 85 percent of these households primarily used firewood and dung for cooking, sources that cause environmental degradation and health issues.
• The aggregated potential annual market for the four clean energy sectors studied—solar lanterns, solar home systems, energy-efficient cookstoves, and decentralized electricity (small hydro and biomass gasifier systems)—is estimated at INR 97.28 billion (US$2.11 billion). This includes INR 94.06 billion (US$2.04 billion) for decentralized renewable energy services and INR 3.22 billion (US$70.1 million) for energy products.
• Clean energy solutions often require an upfront investment three to ten times higher than conventional sources like firewood and kerosene, which are frequently free or subsidized. Despite this barrier, companies profiled in the report saw an average annual gross revenue growth of 36 percent since 2004.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Power to the People. https://www.wri.org/research/power-people

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Power to the People. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/power-people.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Power to the People |url=https://www.wri.org/research/power-people |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendpower, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Power to the People}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/power-people}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }