36.78 Crore LEDs Distributed Across the Country Under UJALA

On January 5, 2015, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA). In a short period of time, the programme has grown to become the world’s largest zero-subsidy household lighting programme, addressing issues such as high electrification costs and high emissions caused by inefficient lighting. More than 36.78 crore LEDs have been dispersed across the country as of today. The program’s inimitable strategic approach to energy efficiency is the key to its success, which has altered the lives of tens of thousands of people.

UJALA was successful in lowering the retail price of LED lights from Rs 300-350 (US$ 4.03- 4.7) to Rs 70-80 (US$ 0.9- 1) per bulb. The programme not only made affordable energy available to everyone, but it also saved a lot of energy. As of present, energy savings total 47,778 million kWh per year. 9565 MW of peak demand has been avoided, resulting in a saving of 3,86 crore tonnes of CO2 emissions.

UJALA’s notable accomplishments include providing momentum to the domestic lighting industry and providing producers with economies of scale through regular bulk procurement.  UJALA is widely adopted by all states and contributed to lower annual household electricity expenditures.

UJALA – Other notable accomplishments:

• It promoted Make in India by increasing LED bulb production in India from 1 lakh per month to 40 million per month.
• Manufacturers benefit from UJALA’s economies of scale by purchasing in bulk on a regular basis. This allows manufacturers to lower LED prices for the retail market as well. Between 2014 and 2017, the procured prices were decreased by about 90%.
• Top management schools in India have expressed interest in the programme. It is now a component of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad’s Leadership case study. Furthermore, it is being considered for inclusion in the Harvard Business School curriculum.

Thanks to UJALA, energy-efficient, cost-saving lighting is now available to people in the middle and lower middle classes. EESL has enlisted Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for distribution of LED bulbs under the UJALA programme as part of its inclusive growth plan to enable growth in lower-income regions.