In rural India, the fall of dusk often signals the end of daily activities. Without sufficient outdoor lighting, communities face safety risks, limited mobility, and hindered access to education and economic opportunities. 

In many remote areas, basic electricity infrastructure may exist, yet public spaces remain shrouded in darkness after sunset. This lack of illumination disproportionately affects women, students, and daily wage earners, and also fuels human-wildlife conflict in forested regions.

To address these challenges, Har Gaon Roshan, a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by Signify, was launched to bring sustainable lighting solutions to underserved villages across India. 

With the support of grassroots NGOs and active involvement from local administrations, the initiative installs energy-efficient LED and solar-powered lights in public areas, ensuring long-term safety, accessibility, and development.

Illuminating Lives in Andhra Pradesh

One of the most extensive implementations of Har Gaon Roshan took place in Parvathipuram Manyam district in Andhra Pradesh. The district is home to several tribal and agrarian communities that had long struggled with insufficient street lighting. 

Navigating through village paths after dark was difficult, often forcing residents indoors before evening set in. Women and children, in particular, faced the brunt of this lack of visibility and security.

The Har Gaon Roshan initiative responded by lighting up 230 villages in the district. Through the support of implementation partner Jana Kalyana Samakhya (JKS), the programme reached 17,766 households, impacting over 78,200 lives. What set this intervention apart was its participatory approach. 

Community members were involved in identifying the optimal locations for installing streetlights. Local youth were trained to manage and maintain the lighting infrastructure, fostering community ownership and ensuring sustainability.

The benefits extended beyond physical lighting. Markets stayed open longer, children studied in safer conditions, and women felt more secure moving around the village after dark. Social and cultural activities saw a revival, and a more vibrant village life began to emerge.

Enhancing Safety in Forest Villages of Uttar Pradesh

Further north, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, Har Gaon Roshan targeted an entirely different challenge, human-wildlife conflict. The district, home to numerous forest villages, had seen increasing encounters between residents and wild animals. Limited visibility after sunset made villagers vulnerable to accidents and attacks. This hampered daily life and restricted movement after dark.

In collaboration with the FINISH Society and the Forest Department, Har Gaon Roshan installed over 5,000 high-quality LED and solar streetlights across 300 forest villages. The goal was not only to improve safety, but also to restore confidence in using outdoor spaces after sunset.

This intervention had a noticeable impact on the community. With lit pathways and common areas, residents were able to carry out household chores, access water sources, and travel short distances with ease. 

Students could study under streetlights, while markets and gathering spaces became accessible even after daylight hours. Importantly, the project contributed to reducing human-wildlife encounters by deterring animals from entering village perimeters after dark.

Bahraich is categorized as an aspirational district, where improving basic amenities is a key development priority. The Har Gaon Roshan initiative aligned perfectly with this objective, bringing visible transformation to some of the most underdeveloped parts of the region.

Supporting Development in Madhya Pradesh and Assam

The success of the initiative in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh laid the groundwork for replication in other states. In Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, Har Gaon Roshan focused on tribal villages known for their rich heritage and tourism potential, but also marked by low infrastructural development.

Here, the project installed 2,000 energy-efficient LED streetlights, 700 solar home lighting systems, and 100 solar-powered streetlights in 55 villages. The initiative was executed in partnership with the NGO Haritika.

The lighting installations enhanced not just safety but also supported local tourism. Tourists visiting heritage sites in the region could now explore more comfortably in the evenings. For local women, walking after sunset became safer, while school-going children found it easier to study and attend evening tuitions. Overall, the intervention reached more than 70,000 people, improving quality of life and contributing to socio-economic upliftment.

In Majuli Island, Assam, one of the largest river islands in the world, the impact of lighting was even more profound due to the region’s geographical isolation. Majuli becomes virtually inaccessible during the monsoons, and darkness intensifies the difficulty of navigating through the island’s winding paths and waterways.

Recognizing the unique challenges faced by the island’s population, Har Gaon Roshan illuminated 43 villages by installing 100 solar-powered streetlights. Additionally, 2,000 solar portable lamps were distributed to households. These lamps replaced kerosene-based lighting, reducing indoor air pollution and health hazards.

This initiative brought light to the homes of 32,000+ residents and helped restore a sense of safety and mobility. Families could carry on with domestic activities, while children had access to safe and clean light for studying. Given Majuli’s ecological sensitivity and rich biodiversity, the choice of solar power aligned with the region’s need for sustainable development.

Impact Created

Across India, the Har Gaon Roshan initiative has created visible and lasting change by illuminating hundreds of underserved villages. In Andhra Pradesh, 230 villages were lit up, benefiting more than 78,200 people. 

In Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, over 5,000 LED and solar lights were installed across 300 forest villages, enhancing safety and reducing human-wildlife conflict. The initiative reached 55 tribal villages in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, with 2,800 lighting units that improved conditions for over 70,000 people. On Majuli Island in Assam, 43 villages received solar lighting along with 2,000 solar lamps for households, positively impacting the lives of 32,000 residents.

The project’s focus on community participation ensured local involvement in both the design and maintenance of lighting systems, contributing to its sustainability. The replacement of kerosene lamps with clean energy options improved indoor air quality and supported environmental goals. 

Enhanced outdoor lighting boosted night-time mobility, increased women’s safety, and enabled children to study after dark. Local markets and community spaces have seen renewed activity, while the improved infrastructure has helped build resilience in areas affected by isolation or wildlife threats.

Way Forward

The Har Gaon Roshan initiative stands as a powerful example of how CSR can drive rural transformation. Through a blend of clean technology, community involvement, and region-specific execution, it has established a replicable model for sustainable development. The project showcases how thoughtful CSR can go beyond infrastructure to create long-term social and economic impact in underserved communities.

Looking ahead, the initiative plans to expand its reach to more energy-deficient and infrastructure-limited regions across India. There is a focused effort to introduce solar street lighting in key public areas to improve safety, support education in remote schools using solar-powered digital tools, and align lighting solutions with livelihood-generating activities in tribal and forest zones. 

Additionally, empowering local youth through skill development and training will remain a priority to ensure the systems are independently maintained.

With each new installation, Har Gaon Roshan is doing more than lighting streets, it is building safer villages, supporting learning, and enabling economic growth after dark. This initiative reinforces the idea that access to sustainable lighting is not just a basic need, but a driver of progress, equity, and opportunity in rural India.