Indian rural livelihoods and renewable energy interventions – A critical analysis for a bottom-up approach for sustainability from an energy-water-food nexus context

• This study covers renewable energy interventions in Indian rural livelihoods. • A critical analysis for a bottom-up approach for sustainability is presented. • Energy-Water-Food Nexus context is used. Indian rural livelihoods are complex, considering the vast geographical regions, climatic changes and socioeconomic divergence. While there is an inherent nexus between energy, water and food in every livelihood they are sometimes intricate, complex and often not accounted. Renewable energy interventions have pitched in livelihoods under a top-down approach in line with favorable policies, regulatory and statutory to meet climate control initiatives. The success of such interventions on the livelihood outcomes are often unmeasured, while possibility of ‘last mile’ interventions very specific to livelihood benefits with focus on energy-water-food nexus remain unexplored. This work focus on the energy consumption pattern of the rural India, financial comparison of decentralized systems over the grid extensions, identify the possibilities of renewable energy interventions in rural livelihoods and indicate the role of livelihood assets and possibilities of the energy-water-food nexus interventions. It is found that around 25 % of the rural population consume 30–50 kWh, while another 25 % consume 50–100 kWh per month. While the lighting load is the maximum and have reached the rural community at large, there is disparity in the reach for clean cooking. While there is a huge potential of renewable energy through the value chain in the agriculture and dairy sector, interventions of biogas and solar lantern have lacked momentum in time with lack of R&D. Mini grids lacked business models and participation of key stake holders in a PPP model. An in-depth analysis of various RE interventions find that a bottom-up approach with a livelihood having robust social, financial and human asset is key for success. It is found that the solar pumps is a best example as an intervention in energy-water-food nexus perspective. A divergence of INR 5/kWh as a subsidy for rural electrification scheme and success of solar pump with a benefit in energy-water-food nexus having a capex of INR 45,000 shows that there is still a potential in decentralized systems.