Harish Hande is a celebrated social entrepreneur who started SELCO, a solar lighting company in 1995. Along the way, he reinvented consumer finance for the poorest of the poor and the fundamental concept of building for the bottom of the pyramid. His empathy for his customers and humility in light of their knowledge is telling, and reflects in the meritocratic organization that SELCO is today. 

In this podcast, Harish comes out swinging against the hierarchical, resume obsessed and out of touch development sector. Let’s put it this way, a lot of thumping on the table involved in this episode. It’s a privilege to have Ramon Magsaysay awardee Harish Hande on Terra.do’s podcast on climate change in developing countries.

Notes –

01:06 – The origin of SELCO and Harish’s early interest in solar energy

06:39 – SELCO Foundation and its future 

13:39 – Asset building to get out of poverty

20:08 – SELCO’s strategies for asset building 

25:26 – Pay As You Go solar - is it good? 

34:34 – Politics, policy and our desire to preserve power structures 

42:02 – Advice on how to get into social entrepreneurship