Exide Solar Homelighting to illuminate homes in Bengal

Kolkata, Feb 7 (UNI) With an aim to promote solar electrification in West Bengal, Exide Industries, India's leading automotive and industrial storage battery maker, has signed an agreement with the Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank (BGVB).

The BGVB, a Government of India Undertaking and an amalgamated body of the Gramin Banks, operates in West Bengal's 11 districts.

As part of the agreement, the BGVB would provide flexible and hassle-free loan to the people of the state that would enable them to illuminate their homes with Exide Solar Homelighting Systems with affordable price.

The agreement will help Exide promote its unique solar home lighting facility to villages as well as towns of West Bengal.

People can avail of the loan under subsidy schemes provided by West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency as well as men subsidy scheme through open market sale.

Announcing the agreement, Mr P K Kataky, Director, Automotive, Exide Industries Ltd, iterated that the agreement between BGVB and Exide will intensify village electrification initiatives in Bengal through renewable energy resources. "We at Exide developed standalone solar home lighting systems, solar lanterns to provide electricity to remote corners of villages across the state. We are expecting a good response in North&South 24 Parganas, Bankura, South Dinajpur districts," added Kataky.

"Exide Solar Homelighting System will be marketed through the distributors in these districts as well as through selfhelp group, farmers club and other NGOs backed by financial assistance or BGVB," added Mr Kataky.

Mr Ambarish Nanda, Chairman of the BGVB said, "we expect more than 10,000 households to be benefited through this arrangements in the current fiscal." Backed by extensive research, the unique solar home lighting system will cater to rural as well urban population and promote the use of eco-friendly renewable energy products in India. Exide has also developed LED technology, a state-of-the-art technology, for solar homelighting.

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