India may be first to use LED for all lights by 2019
New Delhi   17-Aug-2017

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the Ministry of Power, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oil Marketing Companies under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) for distribution of energy efficient appliances under the flagship Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and appliances for All (UJALA) scheme.

According to the agreement, Oil Marketing Companies- IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will take up distribution of LED Bulbs, LED Tubelights and energy efficient Fans from select retail outlets across the country.

The distribution of these energy efficient appliances will be conducted in a phased manner across these select outlets. In the first phase, distribution will commence from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The MoUs were signed with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in the august presence of Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, and Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas here.

As part of the MoUs with the OMCs, EESL will make the entire upfront investment for ensuring availability of the products at the outlets and no upfront capital cost will be borne by the OMCs barring manpower and space.

The consumer can purchase high quality 9W LED Bulbs for Rs 70, 20W LED Tubelight for Rs 220 and Five-Star Rated Ceiling Fan for Rs 1,200/-. Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India will probably be the first country in the world to use LEDs for all lighting needs by 2019, which would help the nation save over Rs 40,000 crore a year. State-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) on Wednesday inked pacts with oil marketing companies IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum for selling its LED bulbs, tubelights and fans at over 54,500 petrol pumps.

"This effort will help us ... India will probably be the first country in the world which will be 100 per cent using LED for its lighting needs by 2019. It will be message that India acts rather than making big promises," the minister said.

The minister also said , "It is worth noting that two important ministries of the Government of India have come together to realise Prime Minister Modiji's vision of every citizen having access to energy efficient appliances. The marketing network of the three oil marketing companies is unparalleled and this tie-up will only accelerate and scale up the distribution of energy efficient appliances across the length and breadth of the country."