In Venkatapuram, a village from Telangana's Khammam district, rows of gleaming solar panels stretch across the landscape, converting sunlight into electricity. The newly inaugurated solar power plant, established at a cost of nearly ₹3 crore, is operated by women self-help groups. Expected to generate a monthly income of ₹4.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh, the project is being celebrated not only for producing green energy but also for placing women at the centre of rural entrepreneurship, management and decision-making.
Rural women have been viewed primarily as beneficiaries of development programmes, but this project has converted them into stakeholders in an industrial enterprise that promises steady revenue and long-term sustainability.
The New Solar Entrepreneurs
Self-help groups have been the backbone of rural women's empowerment in India. Through savings, credit access and collective action, millions of women have improved household incomes and strengthened their social standing. Yet the leap from microfinance activities to operating an energy infrastructure project is significant. If women can successfully manage financial groups, community enterprises and local institutions, why should they not run revenue-generating industries?
The solar power plant at Venkatapuram emerged from this thinking. Instead of limiting women to traditional livelihood activities such as tailoring, food processing or handicrafts, the project introduces them to a sector often considered highly technical and male-dominated. The result is a model where women become active participants in India's renewable-energy economy.
The initiative aligns with Telangana's broader commitment to promoting clean energy while simultaneously creating new avenues for rural prosperity. By integrating women-led SHGs into the renewable-energy sector, the state has created a development model that addresses environmental sustainability and gender inclusion at the same time.
Investment With Long-Term Returns
The solar plant represents a substantial investment in rural infrastructure, designed to generate electricity and create a reliable income stream for the women associated with the project. For rural communities, such recurring revenue is transformative.
Unlike seasonal agricultural income, solar power generation offers predictability. The sun rises every day, and electricity demand remains constant. This means women involved in the project can benefit from a stable source of earnings that is less vulnerable to droughts, market fluctuations or crop failures.
Over time, the income generated can be reinvested into community development, women's enterprises, education and social welfare initiatives. It also demonstrates that renewable energy is not merely an environmental solution but a viable economic opportunity.
More Than Electricity
The significance of the Venkatapuram solar plant extends beyond revenue figures. Across rural India, women continue to face barriers to asset ownership, access to capital and participation in high-value industries. Many are involved in unpaid care work or low-paying occupations with limited growth potential. By placing women at the helm of a clean-energy enterprise, the project challenges these stereotypes. Women associated with the plant gain exposure to project management, financial oversight, maintenance planning and institutional coordination. They become visible leaders within their communities, managing a technology-driven enterprise. Young girls in the village now have local role models who are not merely workers but decision-makers. The psychological impact of such visibility should not be underestimated.
Telangana's Ambitious Vision
The most exciting aspect of the initiative is that it is not intended to remain an isolated success story. The Telangana government has indicated its intention to establish similar women-operated solar power plants across every district in the state. If implemented successfully, the model could create a network of women-led renewable-energy enterprises capable of generating substantial collective income while contributing to the state's clean-energy goals. Such a strategy could position Telangana as a national leader in gender-responsive renewable-energy development. Instead of being confined to small-scale economic activities, women could become operators of energy assets, managers of revenue streams and drivers of local economic growth.