The Selco Foundation has been in incubation since 2014. In 2019, in support from the Atal Innovation Mission, the organisations set up the Guwahati-based AIC-SELCO Foundation Incubation Center dedicated to driving inclusive growth in North East India. The Center focuses on building the capacity of local energy enterprises by providing management expertise, intellectual capital, and hands-on guidance. Its ultimate goal is to empower these innovators to create sustainable energy solutions tailored to the needs of the region’s low-income communities.
Ms Pallabi Deka Saharia and her son own a clean energy enterprise- ‘Saharia Solar OPC Pvt Ltd’. The duo works together as solar solution system integrators. During the evaluation, the NuSocia research team got a chance to meet and interact with them.
Sharing the experiences of her incubation journey, Ms Pallabi mentioned that the solar integration training which Rupam and she could attend as part of the incubation programme helped her understand many things from how to procure raw materials to which brand will be better for designing purposes to the final installation.
Ms Pallabi credits the AIC-SF incubation programme for giving her key learnings about business management, helping her get an understanding of which brand of panels to use and buy and most importantly the systems designing. She shared that she attended a 7-day training which taught her the customisation of solar integration systems. This training taught how to create solar systems designs, installation and even maintenance. Rupam shared that this training has been crucial as it has streamlined a core service offering of their enterprise. Ms Pallabi elaborated by sharing her usual customer interaction –
“When I have a potential customer, I first go to the customer’s house. AICSF has given a survey form to get key details of the customers and their needs. Based on that information, we calculate what capacity panel and battery will the customer need. Then we also calculate the price for it all and share it with the customer. Once the customer gives the okay, then make the system and install. We sometimes offer payment plans, where a customer can make a down payment of ₹5,000 and the rest in installments.”
This payment system is something that they have designed themself. Ms Pallabi mentioned that the training has helped her with approaching the customer as well. She shared that usually, customers think solar will be cheaper so she needs to communicate the actual costs with them and make them aware of the solar power and installation.
The training has also helped her to understand certain design aspects such as how to use Photoshop to make posters and advertisements and what is a good way to click photos for social media. Ms Pallabi also shared that the incubation programme has helped or got exposure. She could go to Arunachal and other places for a clean energy mela. There she had the opportunity to meet the Itanagar Deputy Commissioner and Chairman NITI Aayog. In this interaction, she was asked about her business, her work and even core things such as her turnover.
Ms Pallabi also highlighted that she has applied her learning from the business development training such as how a start-up should make business plans and how to set up the HR and the organisation structure. They have been implementing the formula shared with her during her incubation to make their business plan and have even hired 2 technicians based on the training. Ms. Pallabi’s story is inspiring where her company started with less than 1 lakh of revenue generation prior to gaining knowledge and support from AIC-SF, but today it has improved its revenue generation to more than 20 lakh making a difference to themselves as entrepreneurs and to their community.
In-person interaction with Saharia Solar OPC PVT LTD
(L-R NuSocia researcher, Ms Pallabi Deka Saharia and Mr Rupam Saharia)
