Now, this one’s definitely not a surprise! I’ve mentioned elsewhere about India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JN-NSM), where one of the targets is to deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022. Those of you who were fortunate enough to attend Solarcon India 2010 and managed to hear Deepak Gupta, secretary, MNRE, government of India, would do well to remember what he said regarding rural lighting in India. Gupta had said: “When we talk about off-grid, we should also look at rural lighting. The 20 million target (for LEDs) broadly means covering 4,000 households every day from 15th of June over the next 12 years! Solar lighting is a revolution waiting to happen. We also need to find suitable business models of solar power for village community, and try and provide livelihood opportunities.” Close on the heels of this event, the LED products Manufacturers Association (LEDMA) of India has come into being this month, again in Hyderabad, and again, no surprises on the choice of the location. This association has been formed to address the issues of a growing industry and make people aware of future lighting technologies. It will also serve as a platform for LED product manufacturers across the country to strengthen and develop the LED industry. The association aims to promote awareness about solid state lighting and introduce energy-efficient lighting systems, which makes optimum use of available power resources in India. LEDMA also seeks to draw the government’s attention towards subsidy for LED lighting products, and hopes to help waive-off of taxes as in the case of solar products in the country. A constitutional body has been formed under the Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001, in Hyderabad and the association plans to build its zonal presence in the future. The first meeting was attended by about 50 manufacturers. Dr M.V. Ramana Rao, chairman and managing director of MIC Electronics Ltd., is the president of LEDMA. Again, coming back to Solarcon India 2010, there were two sessions on LED lighting. I will cover those in a while. I felt there should be more such sessions in the future events, a point, I also made to the organizers. And, they agree! If the media repots are to be believed, De Core Science and Technologies is soon to produce LEDs from India’s first advanced semiconductor fab (AlInGaN facility) at Noida Special Economic Zone, in the city of Noida, near New Delhi, India’s capital. Also, De Core Nanosemiconductors Ltd., its subsidiary, is planning to build a wafer fab for LEDs in Gandhinagar, in the Indian state of Gujarat. LEDMA has happened just at the right time for India! One hopes it will help LEDs become a huge industry in the country. Pradeep