India

Last edited: 6 August 2019

Suryakumbh aerial photo 2017 — Aerial view of the 7,438 school children learning the basics of solar cooking at SuryaKumbh 2017 - *Photo credit: Vivek Kabra*

SuryaKumbh festival again sets record - Vivek Kabra reports: "On 11 Feb, 2017, approximately 7,500 school children created history by participating in the World's Largest Solar Cooking Festival. Trained by 400 trainers and guided by 150 supervisors, each one of them made their own solar cooker and cooked noodles in it. Having experienced the power of the sun first hand, each child took the SuryaKumbh solar cooker back home to share the magic of cooking without fuel." The event this year was organized by the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation and held in the Bhayandar - Thane area. More information...

Events

International conferences

NEW: 5-7 November, 2019 (Nairobi, Kenya): Clean Cooking Forum 2019 - The Clean Cooking Alliance and the Kenya Ministry of Energy will co-host the Clean Cooking Forum 2019, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 5-7. With the theme of “Investment. Innovation. Impact,” the sector’s flagship event will bring together hundreds of attendees from around the world working to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. More information...

22-24 January 2020 (Faro, Portugal): CONSOLFOOD2020 - To be held at the Institute of Engineering, Universidade do Algarve, Campus da Penha. The conference will focus on solar thermal food processing. The deadline for receipt of abstracts was 15 June 2019. More information...

See also: Global Calendar of Events and past events in India

Most significant projects

Shirdi collector diagram — Shirdi collector array diagram

Shirdi cooking photo — Cooking in the kitchen at Shirdi

Rooftop solar installation feeds 50,000 people per day: Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. completed installation of a solar steam cooking system, capable of cooking 40,000-50,000 meals per day. It is located at Shirdi Saibaba temple in Shirdi, Maharashtra, India. With nearly 30,000 visitors each day, the temple’s dining halls are some of the largest in India. The solar steam cooking system is comprised of seventy-three rooftop-mounted Scheffler reflectors of sixteen square meters each. The dishes concentrate sunlight on receivers that contain water, generating steam that is piped down to the kitchen for cooking purposes. To maintain constant focus with the sun, the dishes automatically rotate throughout the day after being manually aligned once each morning. The solar steam cooking system is retrofitted to existing liquid petroleum gas-powered steam boilers that are still used in the evening and during prolonged periods of inclement weather. Though the solar steam cooking system cost nearly $300,000, government subsidies reduced the temple’s portion to about $170,000. Liquid petroleum gas use has been cut by roughly 100,000 kilograms each year, for an annual savings of approximately $45,000. The temple should recoup its investment in three to four years. According to company founder Deepak Gadhia, the solar steam cooking technology was originally developed in Germany. However, the equipment does not contain imported components, and is manufactured with local machinery and labor, creating much-needed jobs. Gadhia has adapted the system for use in India, and has installed 50 such systems of varying sizes over the past two decades. The March edition of CNN’s Eco Solutions program highlights the Shirdi Saibaba temple solar steam cooking system.

SuryaKumbh festival again sets record for largest solar cooking workshop - Vivek Kabra reports: "On 11 Feb, 2017, 7,500 school children created history by participating in the World's Largest Solar Cooking Festival. Trained by 400 trainers and guided by 150 supervisors, each one of them made their own solar cooker and cooked noodles in it. Having experienced the power of the sun first hand, each child took the SuryaKumbh solar cooker back home to share the magic of cooking without fuel." The event this year was organized by the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation and held in the Bhayandar - Thane area. More information...
See other Most significant solar cooking projects worldwide.

News

NEW: July 2019: In the second week of July, Dr. Ajay Chandak will lead an environmental expedition to Ladakh to demonstrate the ability of solar thermal parabolic cookers to cook food and boil tea with the power of the sun even when snow is on the ground and temperatures are below freezing. Ladakh, a high-altitude desert with more than 325 clear sunny days and no locally available cooking fuel is an ideal region for cooking with solar thermal devices. Using solar cookers whenever the sun is shining can significantly reduce the amount of subsidized LPG fuel that residents of this region must currently purchase and import every year. Ajay and his team will demonstrate low cost, easy to use PRINCE solar cookers at schools and rural child care centers (Aanganwadis). They will carry out a solar cooking expedition to Khardungla Pass, at an elevation of 5360 mt (17585.2 ft) on the 10th of July. Ajay also plans to donate a PRINCE-40 solar community cooker to Indian Army personnel for pilot testing so that it can be used in remote outposts in this region where all cooking fuel must be imported at tremendous expense. Ajay has been instrumental in training and mentoring entrepreneurs from Ladakh since 2010. These entrepreneurs have manufactured and installed almost 1000 domestic solar cookers in the region.

March 2019: Smart Solar Cooking Solutions Design National Challenge 2019 - The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India is providing young Indian innovators with a chance to submit their designs of efficient and user-friendly solar cooking solutions and win financial grants. Indian citizens affiliated to any academic institution, R&D organization and/or an Indian company/Industry recognized under the Company’s Act/DSIR may apply for this scholarship with their design ideas. The last date to apply for the challenge was 31 March 2019. More information...

October 2018: Government offers challenge awards - The Department of Science & Technology is offering awards to those creating the most user friendly solar cookers. The timeframe for submitting entries is from 2 October 2018 until 31 December 2018. For contest details see: National Grand Challenge Awards for Designing User Friendly Smart Solar Cooking Solutions Additional design objectives for the competition include; the ability to use the cooker in the kitchen, work in limited light conditions, temperature regulation, and optional connection with the electrical grid. DST institutes awards for best designs - The Hindu

Energy program, ITI, India, 7-2-18 — Sri Srikanteswara ITI College institutes energy awareness program - *Star of Mysore*

July 2018: With the objective of creating a sense of responsibility among students towards the current energy crisis, Sri Srikanteswara ITI College, Mysuru, instituted an energy awareness program. Over 150 students attended, and received training with solar water heaters, LED lamp technology, and solar cookers. More information...

Solar Inclined trough line concentrator first trial Ajay Chandak

First video of new development of Inclined trough line concentrating solar steam generator. This will be the system with zero auxiliary power.

May 2018: Dr. Ajay Chandak, Solar Cookers International Global Advisor, seeks a US partner for project development of inclined trough solar concentrator for a grant from the United States-India Science and Technology Endowment fund (IUSSTF): “Commercializing Technologies for Societal Impact." The pilot project can be seen in this video: Link to Pilot Project. Dr. Chandak is confident the cost of this concentrator will be at least 40% less than the corresponding cost of concentrators in the market. The fund aims to select and financially support promising joint US-India entrepreneurial initiatives. Grant size: up to INR 2.50 Crores (approx. $400,000 USD). To participate, contact Dr. Chandak well before the 15 June 2018 deadline: renewable.consultant@gmail.com

McGilligan Centre food fest, 4-18-18 — Food fest attendees prepare a wonderful solar cooked meal at the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development - *Photo credit: The Times of India*

April 2018: Solar Food Fest - Attendees gathered to celebrate Sustainable Development week at the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development with a potluck food fest. Twenty-two solar cookers were used to prepare 30 delicacies. The Centre has organized the sustainable development week with the aim to encourage larger numbers of people to adapt a sustainable lifestyle. Read more...

Dr. Ajay Chandak

March 2018: WINTREX Award recipient - Dr. Ajay Chandak and Promoters, Researchers and Innovators in New and Clean Energy have received the Gold Prize for their innovation of the Solar Paraboloid Concentrator at the World Invention and Technology (WINTREX) in Indonesia. Dr. Chandak reports this is the same design approach they use for their production solar cookers and industrial concentrators.The team was represented by Mr. Raman from the Indian Innovators Association.
March 2018: Indian Prime Minister Modi makes appeal for cooking through solar power - United News of India

Modi 2018 — Prime Minister Modi calling for solar power for cooking

Janek McGilligan recievs Padma Shri award, 3-13-18

March 2018: Solar cooking advocate wishes to empower more men - Dr. Janak McGilligan, used International Women’s Day to conduct a training workshop on solar cooking for men at the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development. She said her Baha’i faith believed in the equality of men and women. “I am no feminist in the classical sense and we don’t believe in the gender divide. I want to help those men who did not know cooking but want to help their wives in the kitchen.” More information...

PAU community cooker, India, photo- Ashwani Dhiman, 1-12-18 copy — A man operates the community solar cooker at PAU. - *Photo credit: Ashwani Dhiman*

January 2018: Agri-engineers at the Punjab Agricultural University are addressing concerns over the expense for families wishing to afford their own substantial solar cooker. They are testing a community cooker at their facility on campus available to locals who may desire to use it. It has two chambers for foods cooking at different rates. Read more...

McGilligan five solar cooker subsidy to landless women, 6-22-17 — Women training women to use solar cookers, celebrating World Environment Day. *Photo credit: J. McGilligan, 2017.*

June 2017: Dr. Janak McGilligan, SCI Global Advisor, was joined by chief guest Dr. Vandana Shiva, plenary speaker at the 6th SCI World Conference 2017, at the World Environment Day celebration. Five parabolic solar cookers were distributed to five landless women who have been cooking over open fires. The women contributed 10% of the purchase price for the PRINCE cookers. The remainder was subsidized by Solar Cookers International donors.
May 2017: Contribute your data: Drive solar cooking results - Solar cooking contributes to long-term progress from cleaner, more efficient, sustainable cooking solutions worldwide. It is crucial to convey the positive health, economic, and environmental impacts of solar cooking to government agencies and other stakeholders. To help build this case, SCI is reaching out to all solar cooking partners. SCI invites your input in the form of data on baseline information, number and type of solar cookers, number of years of the project, location, outcomes, etc. With your help, we can work to include solar-thermal cooking in national energy and sustainability plans. You provide:

Number of solar cookers
Type
Location
Time period
Distributed
Sold
Manufactured

Submit your solar cooking data by filling out the simple form on the Solar Cookers International website or email info@solarcookers.org. Please submit to SCI by 1 June 2017.

April 2017: Indore : Jimmy memorial week begins with solar food festival - The Free Press Journal

January 2017: Solar Cooking Challenge at the Uttarakhand Renewable Development Agency - Uttarakhand Renewable Development Agency (UREDA), Dehradun, India organized a solar cooking challenge for their staff, on 10 January 2017. Solar Cookers International staff member Hemangi Rawat was invited to participate as a judge. The competition was held in UREDA’s own solar energy park to demonstrate the diverse functionality and benefits of solar cooking, using the zero emission clean energy technology of parabolic dish cookers. Five divisional UREDA teams, with approximately 20 employees enthusiastically participated in this competition. Participating teams solar cooked nutritious Indian dishes like Rajma (Kidney beans), rice, vegetable rice biryani, rice kheer (Indian rice pudding), and even roasted papads (lentil wafers). Teams also demonstrated the usage of traditional sauce pans and pressure cookers to solar cook the food. This dish type solar cooker can cook food for 12-15 people at a time and saves electricity equivalent to 600 watts. UREDA director Jyoti Khairwal, and senior management officials also arranged for judges and prizes to make this friendly competition a truly meaningful experience for the staff. Dr. A.J. Singh, deputy chief project officer said “UREDA continues to look for innovative ways to raise community awareness on the benefits of solar cooking."

King George Hospital Scheffler array, 3-14-17 — Scheffler array being installed at King George Medical University Hospital - *Photo credit: Hindustan Times*

March 2017: Hospital turns to solar cooking - King George Medical University Hospital, one of Asia's largest, located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, will soon have a Scheffler array to cook daily for over 4000 patients. The new system is being installed atop the seventh floor of the Shatabdi Phase-II building. Read more...
February 2017: SuryaKumbh festival again sets record - Vivek Kabra reports: "On 11 Feb, 2017, 7,500 school children created history by participating in the World's Largest Solar Cooking Festival. Trained by 400 trainers and guided by 150 supervisors, each one of them made their own solar cooker and cooked noodles in it. Having experienced the power of the sun first hand, each child took the SuryaKumbh solar cooker back home to share the magic of cooking without fuel." The event this year was organized by the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation and held in the Bhayandar - Thane area. More information...

February 2017: Mumbai: MBMC plans largest cooking festival, eyes Guinness record - The Freepress Journal

McGilligan scientist visit post-conf, 1-25-17 — Scientists visit the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development - *Photo credit: Free Press Journal*

January 2017: Scientists gather to discuss adoption issues - Scientists from 19 countries visited Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development to discuss issues delaying use of solar cooking technology. Deepak Gadhia from the Muni Seva Ashram commented “The problem that we have come across, which hurdles the use of solar powered cookers, is the cost involved for an average person.” “Indore has potential to become MP’s solar hub using solar cooking, food processing and related technologies for food parks, namkeen clusters and organic farming,” Centre Director, Janak Palta McGilligan added to the discussion. To read conference papers and watch on-demand conference presentations go to 6th SCI World Conference 2017

January 2017: Update on solar cooker store in Indore, India - Fair Fabricators' owner, Mahendra Rawat, provided a tour of his store, which has been in operation since 1988, to several visiting attendees of the 6th SCI World Conference 2017. Fair Fabricators continues to build box cookers on demand. It is common for people to bring solar cookers that are 20 years old into the shop for a repair. Many of these women told Mr. Rawat that they had difficulty cooking without the solar cooker—they could never go back to the old way once they had gotten so used to solar cooking and the delicious flavors of the food. He reports they have sold over 145,000 solar cookers over the years.

Alzubair Saiyed leads solar cooker workshop for engineering students, 11-28-16 — Alzubair Saiyed leads a solar cooker construction workshop for Rajkot engineering students *Photo credit: Alzubair Saiyed*

December 2016: Engineering students construct solar cookers - On 28 November 2016, a total of 120 engineering students from the B.H Gardi College of Engineering and Technology in Rajkot, Gujarat, participated in a Solar Cooking Festival organized by Innov8 Solar Energy. Lead by Alzubair Saiyed, they built 60 solar cookers, which appear to be the Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light design, and then cooked noodles for those in attendance in about 30 minutes.

Muni Seva Ashram Scheffler array (India Herald), 12-19-16 — The Muni Seva Ashram, has converted its steam-based Scheffler solar cooking array to use thermic fluid to be able to provide nighttime cooking. - *Photo credit: India Herald*

December 2016: Ashram switches from steam to thermic fluid solar cooking - The Muni Seva Ashram, located in Goraj, Vadodara, India, has converted its steam-based Scheffler solar cooking array to use thermic fluid, with heat storage capabilities, to be able to provide nighttime cooking. This is the first such conversion in India, where many existing Scheffler reflector systems are currently in use. The new thermic fluid system also provides the ability to roast, bake, and fry foods, within comfort of the kitchen, not possible with the steam-based system. Read more...

15409783 1146695842052682 1270159166 o — Alzubair Saiyed presents a solar cooking workshop to women in Rajkot, Gujarat.Photo credit: Alzubair Saiyed

December 2016: Women receive solar cooking training in Gujarat - Alzubair Saiyed, an Assistant Professor at the B.H Gardi College of Engineering and Technology in Rajkot, Gujarat, has recently conducted solar cooking workshops at the Shri Kanta Stri Vikas Gruh Girls High School and the Institute of Quality Education (Sister Nivedita Trust). With both groups together, he was able to introduce solar cooking to over 800 women. See more details at about the events at his personal page, Alzubair Saiyed.

Clique Solar ARUN installation, Mahrashtra, 11-1-16 — New ARUN 100 system installed in Maharashtra by Clique Solar in September 2016. *Photo: Cilque Solar*

October 2016: New ARUN system installed in Maharashtra - Clique Solar has designed, installed and commissioned two separate cooking systems, one with ARUN®100 and another with Arun®30 at Maharogi Sewa Samiti’s (MSS) headquarter Anandwan in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra state. Arun®100 caters to MSS Kitchen while Arun®30 is installed at their guesthouse. Read more...

Indian women business start-ups, 10-5-16 — Women of Maharashtra and Bihar, **India** start solar businesses to lessen the impact of household air pollution.

October 2016: Women in India find empowerment with solar businesses, and win UN climate award - Varsha Pawar is one of the 1,010 women entrepreneurs in the villages of Maharashtra and Bihar in India who have empowered themselves by running successful businesses of selling solar appliances to rural households. This was made possible through the efforts of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a non-profit based in Pune in Maharashtra that helps village women to become clean energy entrepreneurs. The clean energy project will be one of thirteen initiatives that will be recognized at the UN climate summit to be held in Marrakech, Morocco, in November. Read more... - INDIA CLIMATE DIALOGUE
October 2016: HIMURJA provides over 37,000 solar cookers - daijiworld

September 2016: Solar cookers to be distributed in sixteen villages of the Agra region - The Times of India is reporting that the India Post in collaboration with Western Union Money Transfer will be distributing solar cookers and lights to the villages beginning in October. Local leaders will be interviewed to help find recipients most in need of the cookers and lighting. The Agra project is the first of this type of collaboration between the Post and private funding. If successful, other regions will be incorporated into the program. Read more...

June 2016: "In order to promote solar thermal technologies to meet cooking energy requirements and to reduce dependence on traditional biomass and fossil fuels, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in the month of September 2014 sanctioned sale and distribution of 15000 Solar Cookers in three different phases at various locations in J&K at a tentative cost of Rs 1687.5 lakh. In the first phase, 5000 solar cookers were procured but only 2183 have been distributed till date despite the fact that target of 5000 was set on the basis of requisitions made by the district officers of the JAKEDA. Similarly, against target of 20000 biomass cookstoves only 3302 have been distributed by the JAKEDA."^[1]

Aavin milk pasteurization, 6-20-16 — Aavin solar pasteurization array for milk processing - Photo credit: The Hindu

June 2016: Aavin steps up production of with solar milk pasteurization - Aavin is the latest government agency to harness solar thermal energy for its daily operations in India. The hundreds of curved mirrors in two structures generate steam to pasteurize nearly one lakh(100,000) liters of milk a day. Read more...

May 2016: Shirdi Temple wins solar thermal award - The Sai Prasadalaya, a community kitchen of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Shirdi has received the coveted Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) and Solar Cooker Excellence Awards- 2016 by the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). Shirdi Sai temple, which draws thousands of devotees every day, has one of world's largest Solar System Projects for community cooking installed in 2014. More information...

May 2016: Solar thermal excellence award - Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home in Chennai was recently conferred with an award for Concentrated Solar Thermal Excellence (CST) for their Solar Cooking System by MNRE, Government of India. The award was given for the school's installation of the ARUN 100 institutional solar steam generating and heat storage system. Award for excellence - NYOOOZ

Piyush Goyal, state minister, 4-30-16 — Piyush Goyal, Minister for State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy - *Photo: Saur Energy*

April 2016: India to lead in solar energy Piyush Goyal, Minister for State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, states India has exceeded solar targets by 116% this past year. Goyal said that India now would lead the world towards clean energy rather than follow. More Information...

Roorkee IIT institutional array, 4-14-16 — Steam generating solar array at Roorkee IIT saves 5,000LPG cylinders each year cooking student meals. *Photo: The Tribune, India*

April 2016: The Institute of Technology in Roorkee has been using a solar installation to provide steam for student meal preparation for the past two years. They have saved the expense of as many as 5,000 LPG cylinders each year. Dean Dr Naveen Nawani said with the introduction of the solar steam cooking process, the quality of food has improved drastically. Read more...

March 2016: BENGALURU: The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invited applications and proposals from educational institutions to convert to green campuses...Solar cooking systems must be utilized for hostels/hospitals etc. All houses, hostels and kitchens must have solar water heaters. Read more...

January 2016: A record-setting 5,760 students participated in a solar cooking event on January 12, 2016 in Aurangabad as part of Maha Suryakumbh 2016 organized by Keshav Srushti. Read more... Video of event...

January 2016: Keshav Srushti continues its extensive efforts to promote solar cooking in India. On January 24th, after this year's Maha SuryaKumbh, they will be opening an educational energy park in Uttan, a coastal town north of Mumbai. It will house an array of solar devices, including solar dryers and solar cookers. More information...

See older news...

History

Main article: History of solar cooking in India

Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources

India, Asia's second largest country next to China, is second to China in the number of solar cookers in use. The situation in India has been more complex than that of China., and more is known about Indian programs. The Third World Conference on Solar Cooking was held in India, which permitted the history and progress of solar technology's uses to be better known around the world.

The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES), Government of India, was established in 1982, first as a Department and later as a Ministry. The Ministry's mandate extended well beyond solar cooking, including fuel efficient wood and charcoal stoves, power from other renewable sources, energy from industrial wastes, and research and development in a number of related fields (photovoltaics, biogas, and pollution prevention, for example). MNES began seriously to promote solar cooking in the early 80s, with an initial focus almost entirely on the solar box cooker.

The population of India is roughly 70% rural. MNES states, "cooking accounts for a major share of the total energy consumption in rural homes (Singhal, correspondence, 2003, p. 1). Sources of that energy use have been largely fuelwood, animal dung, or crop residues. All emit smoke, pollute the atmosphere, and are deterimental to health and safety of family members, particularly women. Fuelwood has become more scarce each coming year. FAO data show that 21.6% of the Indian land mass is forested, and conservation efforts have been in place to reverse previous loss. The effort has been affected by the large and dense population, and a slowing but still substantial birth rate (continuing to increase at 1.7% per annum, or 17% in a decade). Solar cooking has been viewed as one way to alleviate a number of India's problems and as such supported by government efforts.

Institutional solar cooking

Main article: Institutional solar cooker designs

The Press Bureau of the Government of India reported in 2007 that there were 525,000 solar cookers installed in India. The Press Bureau also reported in 2003 that, "The solar cooker programme has been expanded by introducing new designs for community use. Three solar steam cooking systems based on automatic tracking concentrating collective technology for cooking food for 600-3,000 people per day, and one system based on ‘Solar Bowl’ technology, have been installed. World's largest solar steam cooking system has been installed at Tirumala Tirupati. The system is designed to cook two meals for 15,000 persons in one day. Another system for 2,000 people was erected at Brahmakumaris Ashram in Gurgaon in July, 2002. Three community cookers for indoor cooking have been installed at a training hostel and an NGO’s establishment in Leh. In all, six such systems have been installed under the MNES demonstration scheme. A total of 500 dish solar cookers and 60 community solar cookers have been installed so far."

Main article: History of solar cooking

Archived articles

Climate and culture

Solar Cookers International has rated India as the #1 country worldwide for solar cooking potential. In the year 2020, the estimated number of people in India who will suffer from fuel scarcity is 157,400,000, but these people will continue to have ample access to the sun. In December 2007, the Indian Government instituted a program of rebates on various renewable energy devices including solar cookers. Solar cooking has even been recommended in the Rig Veda, a sacred Hindu text, stating: "All edibles ripened or cooked in the sun’s rays change into super medicine, the amrita."

India Solar Resource map, 12-3-12 — India Solar Resource Map provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Fuels used for cooking

URBAN SECTOR

LPG (47.96%)
Firewood (22.74%)
Kerosene (19.16%) and
Other fuels (10.14)

RURAL SECTOR

Firewood (64.10%)
Other sources of biomass – crop residue (13.10%)
Cow‐dung (12.80%)
LPG (5.67%) is now increasing in importance. ^[2]

In a February 7th, 2015 article, The Economist reported that there are roughly 1 million deaths in India each year due to cooking fires^[3].

Fuel subsidies

The Economic Times of India reports:

While 300 million people live below poverty line, making do with energy inefficient dung cakes, twigs and branches, and occasional bits of coal, the urban middle class and the rural rich are splurging on cheap petrol and diesel and even cheaper kerosene and liquified petroleum gas.

The subsidy is massive - hidden by a disingenuous device called oil bonds. Here are some rock solid facts. IOC, HPCL and BPCL are currently losing $137 million a day (i.e., Rs 582 crore per day at Rs 42.50 = $1). They lose Rs 16.34 for each litre of petrol, and Rs 23.49 for each litre of diesel sold in Delhi.

The subsidy on kerosene at Rs 28.72 per litre is over three times the current retail price; and the subsidy on a cylinder of cooking gas at Rs 306 per cylinder exceeds the retail price. The total under-recovery for the oil marketing companies for 2006-07 was over $19 billion. With oil prices touching $135, under-recoveries can be $50 billion this year, unless retail prices are substantially increased.^[4]

The Telegraph (UK) reported in September 2013 that, "Food and fuel subsidies are gobbling up much of the budget, while investment atrophies."^[5]

Solar cooking already has a significant presence in India, especially with large-scale projects, but the potential largely remains untapped for its use to significantly replace the use of conventional fuels.

Cultural acceptance

In a report presented during the Asian Clean Energy Forum in June 2008, Soma Dutta, Asia Regional Network Coordinator for the Amsterdam-based ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, states that only 45% of India’s 70% rural population have access to electricity, and over 80 percent still rely on firewood as their primary cooking fuel, the gathering of which is a responsibility that almost always falls to the women and girls in a society. The long hours and significant effort spent simply gathering firewood leaves them little time for education or employment. ^[6]

Introductions of new technologies fail in villages for many reasons, but most commonly due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of local cultural customs. Solar cooking has often suffered this fate despite the purported cost savings because it is not introduced in a way that suited the lifestyles of the individuals using it.

A solar stove is most powerful at the times of the strongest sunlight, which is mid-day and early afternoon. As in many agricultural populations, village farmers in India consume their biggest meals by early to mid-morning and then again late at night, after the sun has set. In addition, certain solar stoves are not conducive to Indian-style cooking which is done mostly with oil (with the exception of rice) and requires frequent temperature manipulation as well as stirring and flipping which was is difficult with many solar cookers.^[7]

While technical constraints limit the types of solar cookers likely to be widely adopted in India, there is historic precedent for solar cooking in Indian culture. A passage in ancient Vedic texts state, " Sun cooked food improves cellular health and longevity of life. It strengthens health and mind removes three major physical disorders to do with digestion, blood and respiratory system, balances inner body temperatures, life, glows aura and keeps various obstacles away. Sun cooked food has great medicinal value. It enhances intellect, genius." ' Rig Veda'. - Reference from the princeindia.org website. See: PRINCE

Resources

NEW: May 2013: Manufacturers of Box Type & Dish Type Solar Cooker - Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

November 2012: Explaining the Unexpectedly Low Use of Solar Cookers in Gujarat, India - Girja Sharan and Raju Pandya

November 2012: Bashir Ahmad, a Research Fellow at the Technical University of Denmark, provides an analysis of solar cooker usage compared to conventional cooking methods. Data was collected for the study in India and Burkina Faso in the 80's and 90's. An Analysis of Solar Cooker Usage - Bashir Ahmad

February 2012: Patricia McArdle attended a workshop dealing with the construction and proper alignment techniques for Scheffler Community Kitchens in Dhule, India: Read her report.