Building on the contribution ASCI made to the reform of India’s energy sector in the last two decades, the College has extended its areas of concern to conservation and generation of renewable energy. In furtherance of this, under the leadership of Mr T. L. Sankar, Honorary Visiting Professor, ASCI has entered into an intellectual partnership with Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S³IDF), a well-established international NGO, which adopts a “social merchant bank” framework.

S³IDF’s endeavour and mission is to demonstrate that pro-poor, environmentally responsible, small-scale infrastructure solutions can be feasible—by providing technical, financial and business support to those who have been by-passed by the mainstream infrastructure services.

S³IDF India has taken up several innovative pro-poor projects over the last three years. So far, the initiatives include the deployment of solar photovoltaic streetlights in villages; solar energy centres managed by women’s self-help groups, which sell or rent out solar home lights; and setting up biogas plants of large capacity in residential schools, which, besides augmenting green energy, create livelihood opportunities.

These efforts have received attention. As part of its Building Alliances Series on public- private partnerships (PPPs), the USAID published in December 2009 a booklet, Energy, for worldwide circulation. It describes the work of S³IDF in partnership with ASCI as a successful case of PPP in the energy sector, for providing services to the poor. (Details of the S³IDF case are available at http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_partnerships/gda/energy_guide/energy11.html.)
ASCI, in collaboration with S³IDF, is expanding its work in this area.