As dusk settles over the Sahyadri ranges, Tikona Fort no longer slips into darkness. Solar lights illuminate the stone steps that once disappeared after sunset. Below the fort, lives a tribal community of Kashing and Jawan, and now even their homes glow steadily into the evening, changing the rhythm of daily life in villages that have long lived with unreliable electricity.
This change could only be possible because of Mission URJA, a decentralised rural energy initiative led by Pune-based TREEI Foundation. The foundation was launched in 2022, and since its launch, it has brought solar power to 40 tribal villages across Maharashtra, reaching more than 1,400 households, and the initiative has impacted around 8,400 people.
In January 2026, Mission URJA entered a new phase with the inauguration of completed installations at Tikona Fort and the surrounding villages. The Tikona project was implemented with support from Netcracker Technology under its CSR partnership. Over the coming months, similar work at Rajmachi Fort and Ghangad Fort is expected to follow.
For many tribal communities in the Sahyadri region, access to electricity remains uncertain despite national electrification drives. Steep terrain, dense forests and scattered settlements make grid connectivity difficult and unreliable. Due to this, daily mobility gets restricted, people don't go out after sunset, students' education is disrupted, and safety concerns arise for women and elders, and livelihood options become restricted.
Mission URJA was designed with these realities in mind. Instead of extending centralised grids, the programme adopts a decentralised solar model tailored to local needs. Households receive individual solar systems, villages are equipped with solar street lighting, and community spaces gain security infrastructure.
“We wanted to show that heritage conservation and sustainable energy can work together,” said Tanveer Inamdar, Managing Director of TREEI Foundation. “This project is about protecting the past while enabling the future,” he added.
At Tikona Fort, energy access has been extended without altering the site’s historical character. The fort now features solar street and flood lighting along key access routes, solar-powered CCTV cameras, a mobile charging station, and a Solar Tree installation -- the first of its kind in Maharashtra. Designed to meet long-term power needs, the structure also stands as a visual symbol of renewable energy integrated into a heritage landscape.
Abhijit Patil, Director (Administration) at Netcracker Technologies, said, "The partnership demonstrates how clean energy projects can create a tangible impact. He noted that the installations have improved living conditions in nearby villages while also enhancing safety and cleanliness at the fort, which remains an important source of tourism-linked employment. Community participation is central to Mission URJA’s approach. Villagers are not just passive beneficiaries, but the local youth are being trained as solar technicians, and village committees oversee governance, and households contribute to a shared maintenance fund."
This model builds local ownership and helps ensure systems remain functional long after implementation of the project. In 2025, Mission URJA expanded its scope with the launch of its Fort Edition, which focuses on remote heritage sites that play a critical role in regional identity and eco-tourism, as many forts, popular with trekkers and tourists, become unsafe after dusk due to a lack of lighting.
The Fort Edition also introduced sensor-based solar lighting, CCTV systems and visitor-support infrastructure while maintaining ecological sensitivity. Now the villagers report safer movement after dark, longer evening study hours for children, and increased confidence in staying back in their villages rather than migrating for basic opportunities. Improved lighting has also helped strengthen and regulate tourism, which benefits the local guides, vendors and service providers.
During the current 2025-26 cycle, Mission URJA has completed on-ground electrification work across ten tribal villages and three forts. Now TREEI Foundation plans to expand the initiative to 100 tribal villages and 50 heritage forts by 2028. As the sun sets over Tikona, the glow from solar lights illuminates stone walls and village lanes. It also reflects a shift in how energy, heritage and community can intersect not as isolated projects, but as shared foundations for safety, livelihoods and dignity in some of Maharashtra’s most remote landscapes.
Mansi Pathak, an environmental activist, said, "It’s truly inspiring to see solar energy being distributed to the people who need it the most. This initiative, reaching tribal areas, is creating real change by making electricity accessible where it matters most. With reliable power, communities can unlock better opportunities in education, livelihoods, and overall well-being. I’m especially happy to see the youth actively engaging in such meaningful impact. Projects like these deserve to be carried forward more and more."
