India, May 18 -- Decentralised renewable energy is transforming rural livelihoods in India.

This is especially true for women-led enterprises long constrained by unreliable grid power and costly diesel.

Women's self-help groups and solar entrepreneurs are bridging the gap between government schemes and last-mile users.

This is helping stabilise incomes, expand working hours and strengthen women's economic agency.

India has made significant progress on electrification. By most official accounts, nearly every village is connected to the grid. But connection is not the same as reliable and affordable energy for livelihoods.

In rural areas, outages remain frequent, voltage fluctuations damage equipment, and long hours without power are s...