The Economic Survey for 2024-25, tabled in Parliament, has highlighted the significant contributions of SELCO Foundation in promoting women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation through decentralized renewable energy (DRE) solutions. The foundation, led by Ramon Magsaysay award-winner Harish Hande, has empowered over 6,200 women across 24 states through energy-efficient technologies, affordable financing, training, market linkages, and climate-resilient infrastructure. The survey noted that SELCO’s work has enabled women farmers in North Karnataka to advance millet cultivation and local consumption through a solar-powered processing unit, boosting their incomes and confidence.
The survey also highlighted the concentration of financial, real estate, and professional services in a few states, with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka accounting for over 50% of total financial services. Additionally, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu have more than one-third of their services coming from real estate, ownership of dwelling, and professional services.
The survey also noted that 15 states and union territories have allowed women to work in night shifts, subject to safety provisions, and seven states have increased the ceiling of overtime hours from 75 hours to 144 hours in any quarter. The states that have allowed night shifts for women are Maharashtra, Goa, Haryana, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam.
Overall, the Economic Survey’s recognition of SELCO Foundation’s work highlights the importance of sustainable energy solutions in promoting women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. The survey’s findings also underscore the need for policy interventions to address the concentration of services in a few states and to promote a more equitable distribution of economic opportunities across the country.