Tirunelveli harnesses the sun for powering India's tomorrow

Tirunelveli, 620 kilometres (km) from Chennai and 158 km from Thiruvananthapuram, has been a known trading hub since 304-232 BCE.

- SHINE JACOB

The mighty Pandyas, the Cheras, the Cholas, the Vijayanagara Empire, and the British all enjoyed their share of 'power' in this town, which has a recorded history of more than three millennia. In the post-Independence era, the region made its own 'green power' history when wind power debuted in India in 1986 simultaneously in three locations: Maharashtra (Ratnagiri), Gujarat (Okha), and Tamil Nadu (Tirunelveli).

Now, Tirunelveli is known as the 'Green Energy Capital' of Tamil Nadu, contributing 25 per cent of its wind power and a fair share of solar energy as well. Adding to the list of milestones of this ancient town, Tata Power Company (TPCL) is setting up its first facility in Tirunelveli.

A 20-km drive into the suburbs of the city is Gangaikondan, little known to the world outside, except for the presence of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) Industrial Park.

Tata Power Solar's photovoltaic (PV) cell and module manufacturing facility, spread over 317 acres, is touted as the largest singlelocation solar cell and module manufacturing facility in India. What is even more striking is the sizeable share of women employees, most of whom are from within a 60-km radius.

Of the total workforce of 2,805, 60 per cent are women. Eighty per cent of the total operator workforce of 1,334 are women as well. For this sunrise sector, the higher proportion of women in the unit offers a hopeful outlook.