Innovations for Sustainability: A Case of Mainstreaming Energy Access in Rural India.

India faces a formidable challenge in ensuring security of access to modern energy carriers to majority of its population. The fossil-fuel dominated centralized energy system has proved to be ineffective in creating sustainable access to energy, which suggests need for a radical and innovative approach. We present such an approach. First, the need for innovations given the implications of lack of energy access on sustainable development is assessed. Next, possible innovations with respect to technologies, policies, institutions, markets, financial instruments and business models are discussed. Finally, an economic and financial feasibility of implementing such innovations are analyzed. The results indicate that such a proposal needs an investment of US$ 26.2 billion over a period of 20 years for a GHG mitigation potential of 213Tg CO_2e. The proposition is profitable for the enterprises with IRRs in the range of 39%-66%. The households will get lifeline access to electricity and gas for cooking at an affordable monthly cost of about US$ 5.7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]