No lights after sundown. Irrigation struggles at every turn. These aren’t just minor inconveniences – they’re daily hurdles for thousands of small tea growers across North Bengal. The tea industry, which is the lifeline for countless families in Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling, in North Bengal, is feeling the heat, from a growing energy crisis.  

A Ray of Hope: Solar Energy

Amidst this pressing challenge, SwitchON Foundation is taking efforts, lighting the way forward – literally and figuratively. By working closely with tea-growing communities in North Bengal, SwitchON has been building awareness, skilling local communities, and advocating for policies that promote long-term energy security.

As part of their annual Move for Earth Symposium 2025, SwitchON hosted a pivotal roundtable: “Promoting Energy Security in Tea Gardens.” This brought together voices from across the tea industry to discuss how decentralized renewable energy (DRE) – like solar microgrids and clean cooking solutions – can power up not just plantations, but entire livelihoods. Three key reports were launched:

• Baseline Report for the Project Ensuring Energy Security in Tea gardens PDF
• Ensuring Better Energy Security in Tea Gardens of North Bengal PDF
• Energy Access and Sustainable Livelihoods in North Bengal: Challenges and Opportunities for Tea Garden Communities PDF

Insights from the Roundtable

The roundtable drew some of the most respected names in the industry. The experts didn’t just highlight the problems – they explored real, actionable solutions, from solar-powered irrigation systems to microgrids for uninterrupted power and clean cooking tech for worker housing. The roundtable brought on board, S. Soundarajan, Director of Tea Development, Tea Board, Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, President, CISTA, Sandip Mukherjee, Principal Advisor, Darjeeling Tea Association, Gangan Boriah, Senior Advisor, Tea at Solidaridad Network and Ankur Chaturvedi, ESG lead, Emami Ltd and Indranil Ghosh, Director of Operations & Plantations, Chamong Group. 

Catch the key moments here:

✅ Visual notes of the Session : Event Doodle

✅ Key Insights : Event Video

✅ Quick Snapshot : Instagram Reel

The Way Forward

The way forward is clear – and it’s powered by the sun. The future of North Bengal’s tea gardens lies in the adoption of renewable energy solutions like solar power, which can reduce energy costs by more than 30%. Financial support through schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana, along with microfinance options, will help make these solutions more accessible. Aligning solar adoption with workers’ bonus seasons can further improve affordability.