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ISA and SELCO Foundation Partner to Expand Solar-Based Livelihood Initiatives in the Global South

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the SELCO Foundation have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the expansion of solar-powered livelihood and productive-use solutions across Africa and other Global South regions.

The agreement follows a strategic dialogue between Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA, and Harish Hande, CEO of SELCO Foundation, which highlighted the need to move beyond basic energy access toward outcome-driven deployment that directly supports livelihoods, health, and human dignity.

During the discussions, both organizations emphasized the importance of transitioning from isolated pilot initiatives to scalable and replicable platforms that effectively integrate policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, technology solutions, and community institutions.

Under the MoU, ISA and SELCO Foundation will jointly work to scale decentralized solar applications for income generation, strengthen institutional and human capacities, and encourage South–South as well as state-to-state knowledge exchange. The collaboration will also assess the use of AI-enabled tools and local-language knowledge systems to improve access to practical, field-level insights.

In addition, the partnership aims to mobilize finance by connecting global programs with grassroots implementation models, ensuring that funding flows translate into measurable development outcomes.

Speaking during the engagement, Khanna underscored the growing need for action-oriented partnerships, while Hande noted that India’s value in the global energy transition lies in sharing real-world implementation experience, rather than focusing solely on exporting hardware or technology.

Both ISA and SELCO Foundation stated that the collaboration will prioritize execution, accountability, and scale, with a focus on developing replicable models capable of supporting inclusive and sustainable energy transitions across emerging economies.