This SpringerBrief reviews currently applied and potential solutions for improving the
efficiency and quality of rural electricity supply in India a major bottleneck for
agricultural development. It provides background on the current state of supply and reviews
recent and ongoing research and development projects. One selected project designed and
conducted by the authors is outlined in detail. The research findings project implementation
and evaluation are intended to provide development practitioners policy makers and applied
researchers with experience from the field. At the core of this Brief is the integration of
technical and social solutions emphasizing the role of collective action and the merits and
demerits of small-scale technically simple measures.
