30th January 2026: TERI, in association with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), organized a strategic, closed-door workshop on 30th January 2026 at the Atal Akshaya Urja Bhawan, New Delhi. The session focused on accelerating Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) for livelihood enhancement, serving as a landmark platform to align TERI’s Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) 2.0 initiative with national priorities like PM-KUSUM and the Model Solar Village Programme.
The workshop opened with context-setting by Dr Jeevan Kumar Jethani, PhD, Senior Director, MNRE, followed by a special address from Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI. Highlighting TERI’s vision for the next decade of energy access, Dr Dhawan stated, “This workshop reflects our shared commitment to advancing decentralized renewable energy solutions that deliver tangible impact. As we move beyond basic access, our goal is now to ‘light a billion livelihoods’.”
Mr Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, MNRE, delivered the keynote address, echoing TERI’s focus on the immense potential of distributed RE. “The possibilities for using renewable energy to power livelihoods are immense. As we move forward, the role of distributed RE will become increasingly prominent. Through flagship initiatives like PM Surya Ghar—the world’s largest rooftop solarization scheme—and PM-KUSUM for farm solarization, we are adding massive capacity to our national grid.”
The event reached a pivotal moment with a comprehensive presentation by Dr Amit Kumar Thakur, Associate Director, TERI, who detailed the vision and strategic pillars of LaBL 2.0. The session included the screening of the LaBL 2.0 teaser, which received a warm reception and signalled the official endorsement of the program by the MNRE. Furthering the discussion on implementation, Mr Mayank Tewari, Additional Secretary, MNRE, noted the government’s commitment to scaling these solutions through strategic pilots.
The workshop concluded with an expert-led technical panel on ‘Advancing Decentralized Clean Energy for Livelihoods’, moderated by Dipankar Saharia, Senior Director, TERI. Reflecting on the evolution of TERI’s work, Dr Saharia noted, “While our initial goal with the LaBL initiative was reaching un-electrified villages, the challenge has now shifted to ensuring a regular, reliable supply of power to bridge development gaps.”
The panel discussion witnessed robust participation from a select group of policymakers, academics, PSUs, and philanthropic foundations. Dr Mini Govindan, Senior Fellow, TERI, provided a summary of the forthcoming Policy Paper, which is currently in development. This strategic document is set for a high-profile release by TERI at the Silver Jubilee edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2026, being held from 25–27 February 2026 at The Taj Palace, New Delhi.
The workshop also saw the presence of sector-focused media observers, including CSR Times, reflecting the publication’s continued engagement and close proximity with key energy transition and sustainability dialogues across the country.
The event concluded with closing remarks and a vote of thanks by Dr Jeevan Kumar Jethani, Senior Director, MNRE.
