Sachin Tendulkar joins Schneider Electric to light up villages

Cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar and Schneider Electric have joined hands to provide cheap, efficient and eco-friendly electrification in the rural areas in the country.

"Sachin Tendulkar and Schneider Electric India have come together for 'Spreading Happiness', a non profit organisation, to provide access to rural electrification by installing solar home lighting systems for the benefit of over 25,000 villagers in India," Schenider Electric said in a release.

The initiative has already rolled out a pilot project in Nashik (Maharashtra) and is currently impacting over 1,000 villagers, it added.

Commenting on the initiative, Tendulkar said: "As a country we cannot have our citizens still struggle with darkness in their lives with the setting of the sun. We have to use advancements in technology and the capabilities of international majors like Schneider Electric to deploy solutions which can brighten the lives of our countrymen."

'Spreading Happiness' is a small step towards changing lives and bringing smiles to the faces of many people in the country, he added.

"For the last many years, my countrymen have showered me with unconditional love and affection irrespective of their location, social strata and personal challenges. 'Spreading Happiness' is my sincere effort to positively impact the present and future of the people who are an integral part of the real India," he added.

The starting point was Tendulkar's introduction to Schneider Electrics' 'In-Diya Lighting System', which is an innovative, affordable solution to bring efficient and green lighting to people living with no or unreliable electricity, the release said.

In-Diya is a specially designed LED-based lighting system that can operate on main power supply and/or solar power and provides backup of 8–15 hours for indoor use.
It can illuminate a room of 12 feet X 12 feet for all normal activities and provide 50,000 hours of lighting across its life-cycle.