In the shadows of Maharashtra’s rural terrain, where electricity poles end and development often skips entire villages, Tanveer Inamdar has sparked a quiet revolution. His initiative, Mission Urja, has brought light—literally and figuratively—to hundreds of tribal migrant families long left out of India's energy grid.

Launched in 2018, the mission was born out of a single, powerful observation: many families in remote tribal communities were living without electricity, relying on kerosene lamps and firewood long after nightfall. This lack of basic infrastructure not only deepened poverty but also pushed children away from education and health services into labor and hardship.

The Birth of Mission Urja

Tanveer, an engineer by profession, was deeply moved after visiting remote hamlets in the Satara district, where tribal migrant families moved with the seasons in search of work. These families lived in temporary huts—often relocated every few months—making government electrification schemes irrelevant for their mobile lives.

That’s when the idea of portable solar units struck him. If the villagers could move, why couldn’t their power supply move with them?

With his technical background and a small team of innovators, Tanveer began designing lightweight, easy-to-install solar energy kits. These units, capable of powering LED bulbs, phone chargers, fans, and even small water pumps, could be packed, carried, and reassembled within minutes.

A Beacon of Light for 945 Families

Since its inception, Mission Urja has transformed the lives of 945 tribal families across Maharashtra. The success isn’t just measured in kilowatts—it’s visible in the stories of children studying after sundown, mothers cooking in clean light, and men no longer burning wood to keep warm.

In areas with running water, Tanveer also introduced micro-hydroelectric turbines, creating small-scale sustainable power grids for villages located near rivers or streams.

One of the earliest recipients, a 65-year-old grandmother named Savitri, shared: “We never imagined our hut would have a bulb, let alone a fan. My grandchildren no longer cough at night from smoke.”

Breaking Economic Bondage with Innovation

Electricity isn’t just about lighting rooms—it’s about liberating lives. With these energy units, families have begun small entrepreneurial activities, such as mobile recharging stations, solar-powered sewing machines, and LED-lit stalls selling vegetables at night markets.

Children who previously dropped out of school due to poor lighting or migration pressures are now re-enrolling. “For the first time, energy has given these families a reason to settle, a reason to dream bigger,” Tanveer explains.

Sustainability Meets Scalability

All of Mission Urja’s products are built using affordable, durable materials, with a focus on minimal maintenance. Local youth are trained as technicians, ensuring that every village becomes self-reliant in managing its own system.

Tanveer is now looking to partner with NGOs and state governments to expand the model to tribal belts in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.

From Engineer to Energy Activist

What sets Tanveer apart is not just his engineering acumen, but his deep empathy and community-first mindset. He routinely camps in the villages he serves, listens to their problems firsthand, and customizes each solution based on terrain, climate, and cultural needs.

He believes that powering rural India doesn’t need massive grids or megabudgets—it needs empathy, innovation, and portability.

A Light That Travels With the People

Tanveer’s journey with Mission Urja proves that solutions for India's most marginalized don’t need to be complicated. They need to be rooted in reality, mobile like the people they serve, and flexible like the lives they adapt to.

In every glowing hut he’s illuminated, Tanveer Inamdar has done more than bring electricity—he has powered hope.