Ronit’s next big challenge
Meet Ronit Kanwar as he travels to India, where his social enterprise start-up is bringing technology to remote villages
5,000 miles from Warwick
We followed 21-year-old Ronit Kanwar to Bahubandh village in eastern India as he builds his social enterprise start-up that distributes life-changing products, such as solar lamps, to rural communities.
This documentary shows what happened after Ronit won the BP-sponsored prize in the One Young World Lead2030 Challenge, an initiative supported by a coalition of global businesses working together to fund and accelerate youth-led innovation aiming to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
BP sponsors the prize aimed at SDG7 – clean and affordable energy for all. BP also has investments in a portfolio of relevant technology businesses that will help it transition to a low carbon company.
After graduating from the University of Oxford, Ronit moved from his home town, Warwick in the UK, to India, where he set up Empower Energy. His company is helping the almost 300 million people who live in the country's rural regions access new products and technologies. In villages where power cuts are common, for example, rented solar lamps are providing a safer, cleaner light for work or study than kerosene alternatives.
Impressed by this social enterprise, the Lead2030 judging panel awarded Ronit and Empower Energy the $50,000 prize funded by BP to further develop their initiative, as well as 12 months’ mentorship by BP experts.
“BP has put together a team of six mentors who are always available. They’ve been really flexible in terms of asking us what we need and then providing that – it’s been amazing for us.”
Ronit Kanwar, CEO of Empower Energy
From Warwick, UK to a village in India, watch the film to discover more about what inspired Ronit to set up Empower Energy and what the Lead2030 win has meant for the company.
The deadline for Lead2030's second round of challenges is 5 January 2020. Lead2030 is looking to find, fund and accelerate youth-led projects that will have an impact on the SDGs.
