Miller Center Capital Backs E-Hands Energy to Scale Solar Power and Clean Energy Access in Rural India

Miller Center Capital, in partnership with fund manager Beneficial Returns, has announced catalytic financing support for E-Hands Energy, a Chennai-based renewable energy enterprise focused on expanding decentralized solar power solutions across underserved rural regions in India.

Established in 2009, E-Hands Energy provides solar and hybrid renewable energy systems aimed at replacing diesel generators and mitigating unreliable grid access in remote areas. The company operates under a B2B model, supplying power to rural banks, schools, microenterprises, farmer-producer organizations, and other institutions critical to rural development. To date, the enterprise has deployed over 10 MW of clean energy, installed more than 1,100 systems, and electrified 61 villages.

E-Hands Energy has an extended partnership with Miller Center, having completed the organization’s flagship Accelerator program in 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, Miller Center Capital issued an emergency loan to help the enterprise retain engineering talent, maintain vendor operations, and restore critical rural power infrastructure. The loan was fully repaid.

Founder and CEO Raghuraman Chandrasekaran, who transitioned from a corporate career to social enterprise after witnessing energy poverty in remote Himalayan communities, said the new financing will accelerate the company’s expansion into high-impact rural markets.

“Reliable power changes everything for rural communities,” Chandrasekaran said. “With this support, we can accelerate energy transition initiatives with rural banks, farmers, and microenterprises that are the backbone of India’s rural economy.”

The timing aligns with India’s banking regulatory mandate requiring 25% of new bank branches to be established in rural centers, many of which face routine power outages. E-Hands Energy’s systems currently support banking operations for over 6.8 million customers, powering ATMs and replacing diesel generators at hundreds of locations.

Paul Belknap, Director of Impact Investing at Miller Center for Global Impact, emphasised the broader benefits of the collaboration.

“Banks can’t serve rural customers if the lights keep going out,” Belknap said. “E-Hands shows how catalytic capital can accelerate solutions that expand banking services and cut diesel dependence at the same time.”

Miller Center Capital noted that the financing is expected to attract additional investment by demonstrating the enterprise’s scalability and the effectiveness of the funding structure. The loan aligns with the organization’s strategy of supporting locally-led enterprises that advance climate resilience and economic inclusion. The partnership with Beneficial Returns aims to bridge funding gaps that continue to constrain high-impact social enterprises within the Miller Center network.