Harish Hande
{{short description|Indian social entrepreneur}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Harish Hande
| image = Harish Hande - India Economic Summit 2011.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Hande at the World Economic Forum India Economic Summit in 2011
| birth_place = Handattu, Udupi Taluk, Udupi District, Karnataka
| occupation = Social entrepreneur
| awards = Ramon Magsaysay Award 2011
| alma mater = IIT Kharagpur
University of Massachusetts Lowell
}}
Harish Hande (born Handerto Harish Hande) is an Indian social entrepreneur, who co-founded SELCO India in 1995.{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/special/solar-crusader--harish-hande/story/1183.html|title=Solar crusader - Harish Hande- Business News|website=www.businesstoday.in|date=23 December 2007 |access-date=2019-04-05}}
He was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011 for "his pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through his social enterprise SELCO India".{{cite news |title= Bangalorean gets Ramon Magsaysay Award|url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Bangalore/article2300127.ece |work=The Hindu |date=28 July 2011 }}
Early life
He was born in Handattu, Udupi District, Karnataka, and raised in Rourkela, Orissa, India.{{Cite web|last1=Asia-Pacific|last2=India|title=Harish Hande of SELCO India: Shedding Light on India's Underserved Markets|url=https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/harish-hande-of-selco-india-shedding-light-on-indias-underserved-markets/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Knowledge@Wharton|language=en}}
After completing his basic schooling in Orissa in Ispat English Medium School, he went to IIT Kharagpur for his undergraduate studies in energy engineering and graduated in 1990.{{Cite web|title = A toast to IIT Kharagpur|url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/books/article2885945.ece|website = The Hindu Business Line|access-date = 2016-01-02}}{{Cite journal|last=Bhattacharya|first=Saumya|date=13 January 2008|title=Solar Crusader|journal=Business Today}}
He then went to the United States to do his master's degree and later PhD in energy engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.{{Cite web|title = Social Entrepreneur: Harish Hande (Part 1)|url = http://www.sramanamitra.com/2007/05/10/social-entrepreneur-harish-hande-part-1/|website = One Million by One Million|date = 10 May 2007|access-date = 2016-01-02}}
Career
Hande co-founded SELCO INDIA (in 1995), a social enterprise, to eradicate poverty by promoting sustainable technologies in rural India.
SELCO India is a social enterprise that provides sustainable energy services to the poor in India.{{cite news |title=Nileema Mishra, Harish Hande win Magsaysay award|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nileema-Mishra-Harish-Hande-win-Magsaysay-award/articleshow/9385363.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820050345/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-27/india/29820340_1_ramon-magsaysay-magsaysay-award-solar-lights |url-status=live |archive-date=20 August 2013 |work=The Times of India |date=27 Jul 2011 }} Hande left the active management of SELCO India in 2014 and became the CEO of SELCO Foundation.{{Cite web |title=IIT Jodhpur |url=https://alumni.iitj.ac.in/f/Saturday-Webinar-Dr-Harish-Hande-Co-Founder-of-SELCO-India-August-8-5pm-5659?source=view |access-date=2021-07-20 |website=alumni.iitj.ac.in}}
Awards and recognitions
SELCO India under the leadership of Hande has won the Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy 2005 and Accenture Economic Development Award for 2005.{{cite web|url = http://www.techawards.org/laureates/stories/index.php?id=104|title = The Tech Awards Laureates 2005|access-date = 16 July 2011|archive-date = 21 July 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721012043/http://www.techawards.org/laureates/stories/index.php?id=104|url-status = dead}}
In 2007, SELCO INDIA again won the Ashden Award, this time for "Outstanding Achievement" in energy sector.{{Cite web|title = International winners 2007|url = http://www.ashdenawards.org/finalists_2007|website = Ashden Awards, sustainable and renewable energy in the UK and developing world|access-date = 2016-01-02|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071230062003/http://www.ashdenawards.org/finalists_2007|archive-date = 30 December 2007|url-status = dead}} The award was presented by Al Gore, former vice president of the United States of America.
Hande was named the Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship{{Cite web|title = Harish Hande {{!}} Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship|url = http://www.schwabfound.org/content/harish-hande|website = www.schwabfound.org|access-date = 2016-01-02}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121114708/http://www.khemkafoundation.org/ Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation].
In 2008, Hande was chosen by Business Today as one of the "21 young leaders for India’s 21st century". Later, in June 2008, India Today named him one of the 50 pioneers of change in India.{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&issueid=60&task=view&id=10476&Itemid=1|title=Let there be light|publisher=India Today|date=26 June 2008|access-date=16 July 2012}} He was elected an [https://www.ashoka.org/en-US/fellow/harish-hande Ashoka Fellow] in 2008.
In 2011 he was awarded the Magsaysay Award for "his passionate and pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through a social enterprise that brings customized, affordable, and sustainable electricity to India’s vast rural populace, encouraging the poor to become asset creators.”.{{Cite web|title=Hande, Harish • The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation • Honoring greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia|url=https://www.rmaward.asia/awardees/hande-harish/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=www.rmaward.asia}}{{Cite web|title = Two Indians among winners of Magsaysay Award 2011 - Rediff.com India News|url = http://www.rediff.com/news/report/two-indians-among-winners-of-magsaysay-award-2011/20110727.htm|website = www.rediff.com|access-date = 2016-01-02}}
Hande was also awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti in 2011 by the Government of Karnataka.{{Cite web|title = Karnataka: Harish Hande among 50 state awardees|url = http://ibnlive.in.com/news/karnataka-harish-hande-among-50-state-awardees/197777-60-115.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111104021016/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/karnataka-harish-hande-among-50-state-awardees/197777-60-115.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2011-11-04|website = IBNLive|access-date = 2016-01-02}}{{Cite web|title=Clean Energy Solutions Center {{!}} Harish Hande|url=https://cleanenergysolutions.org/people/harish-hande|access-date=2021-07-20|website=cleanenergysolutions.org}}
In 2013 the trustees of University of Massachusetts awarded him the Doctorate of Humane Letters.{{Citation|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG0CAXhGXl0|access-date = 2016-01-02| title=Doctor of Humane Letters Award - Harish Hande - UMass Lowell 2013 Graduate Commencement (2:41) }}
In 2014 IIT Kharagpur conferred upon him the distinguished alumnus award.{{Cite web|title=Alumni {{!}} Alumnus Award|url=http://alumni.iitkgp.ac.in/Alumniweb/Alumaward|access-date=2021-07-20|website=alumni.iitkgp.ac.in|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419184519/http://alumni.iitkgp.ac.in/Alumniweb/Alumaward|url-status=dead}}
References
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External links
{{commons category|Harish Hande}}
{{RMA winners of India}}
{{Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hande, Harish}}
Category:Businesspeople from Karnataka
Category:University of Massachusetts Lowell alumni
Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners
Category:Indian social entrepreneurs
Category:People associated with solar power
Category:People from Udupi district
Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople