He remembers the classroom first: metal benches, a fan that did not move, and a teacher speaking softly over the heat. “Solar was a light of hope, but now we’re back in the dark.” The line stayed with 28-year-old engineer Sohan Naik long after he left Koppal that day.

Sohan is the Managing Director of ‘Power Planet’, a Bengaluru-based renewable energy company. He grew up watching what a working power supply can change. Today, his work is rooted in a simple promise to rural Karnataka: light that stays on, so study, harvests, healthcare and livelihoods are not left to chance.

In many villages across Karnataka, electricity was once an unreliable luxury. Flickering bulbs, hours of power cuts, and unpredictable voltage were part of everyday life. Farmers lost crops when water pumps stopped mid-irrigation. Children bent over homework by the dim glow of kerosene lamps. 

Health workers stored medicines in ice boxes, hoping that power would return before supplies spoiled. Shops pulled shutters early. Families lay awake on breathless nights. Online classes and digital work felt impossibly far away.

It was in these very gaps of darkness that Sohan saw his purpose. He doesn’t just want to install solar panels; he wants to ensure that light, hope, and opportunity stay on. His company provides solar home systems, rooftop setups, mini-grids and tailored rural solutions that have changed the rhythm of life in once-neglected communities.

Sohan Naik is on a mission to power schools, farms, and homes in rural Karnataka.

Today, in those same villages, nights are no longer dark. Classrooms glow after sunset. Farmers run solar-powered pumps to protect their crops. Health centres refrigerate vaccines without worry. Families enjoy steady fans, lighting and internet. Shops stay open later, businesses grow, and children log in to lessons without fear of sudden disconnection.

A childhood steeped in service

Power Planet’s story begins in 1997, when Sohan’s parents, both electronics and communication engineers, set up a small manufacturing unit for UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) systems. At the time, outages were frequent, and the family wanted to provide affordable backup power to homes and businesses.

By 2012, as the demand for cleaner, renewable energy grew, the company shifted its focus. It moved from UPS manufacturing to solar-based solutions, especially for communities where reliable electricity was still a distant dream.

For Sohan, joining the family business never felt like an obligation. It was instinct. As a child, he often rode along with his mother on service calls, clinging to the front seat of her scooter as she fixed technical issues at customer sites.

“At that age, I didn’t understand the technology,” he recalls, “but I saw how relieved people were when the power came back. That made an impression.”

Power Planet was established by Sohan’s parents in 1997.

Years later, during a visit to his father’s alma mater in Koppal, that impression turned into purpose. His father showed him the school where he had once studied — a building still plagued by outages decades later. Together, they installed an off-grid solar system there. For the first time, classrooms had reliable, 24/7 power.

“Hundreds of students have benefited since then,” Sohan says with pride. “That project taught me solar isn’t just about panels and batteries. It’s about dignity, opportunity, and hope.”

Why power needs care, not just panels

Early in his career, Sohan discovered that the promise of solar power does not always last in practice. On one project, Power Planet installed units across a remote village. Within a year, most had stopped working — not because of faulty technology, but because there was no maintenance, no spare parts and no training for users.

“The systems were abandoned. And when that teacher told me, ‘we’re back in the dark’, I realised the real gap wasn’t access, it was sustainable access,” he says.

That realisation reshaped Power Planet’s approach. Instead of treating solar like a one-time sale, the company built a model around long-term partnership:

• Remote digital monitoring for accountability
  

• Quarterly on-site inspections
  

• WhatsApp support groups so customers can always reach someone
  

• Flexible financing to make solar affordable for low-income households
  

• Training local users to handle basic troubleshooting
  

“Customers know that if something goes wrong, we’ll be there within 24 hours,” Sohan explains. “That’s how we’ve built trust.”

Sohan’s efforts in educating customers and adapting to regulatory changes have built a strong, trusted brand.

Powering progress across Karnataka

In the last 12 years, Power Planet has reached more than 2,700 households and 350 commercial clients across Karnataka, working in districts like Davanagere, Chikkamagaluru, and Bengaluru. Together, these projects offset nearly 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.

“Our work now touches every corner of rural life, from education and homes to agriculture and industries,” Sohan says. “Schools run evening classes without interruption. Farmers operate solar water pumps and cold storage units, saving crops and boosting income. Families enjoy uninterrupted internet and lighting, enabling both work-from-home and online schooling. Customised solar solutions reduce energy costs for warehouses and small factories.”

Power Planet’s claims to ensure long-term functionality of their installations.

He recalls one case that reinforced his belief in standing by customers. “A client once longed for an on-grid solar system, but had been cheated by unreliable vendors. When he refused to pay an advance, we invested nearly Rs 20 lakh of our own money and completed the project in just two days. He was astonished. That moment reinforced why we do what we do.”

‘We don’t have even 2 seconds of downtime’

For others, the change has been deeply personal. Sukhwinder, a resident of Mutthasandra, installed a 5KW off-grid solar system with four batteries. “Before this, frequent power cuts disrupted everything, even my work meetings. Suddenly, I’d drop out of video calls. It was frustrating,” he says.

Now, his home has round-the-clock power and internet. “Our neighbours still complain about outages and fluctuations, but for us, not even two seconds of downtime in a whole day. That’s such a blessing.”

What impressed Sukhwinder most was not just the technology, but the response. “We had some inverter issues early on, but Power Planet resolved everything within a week. Sohan himself came to my house at midnight. He even cancelled a vacation to help. They treat your problem as their own. That’s rare.”

When trust became the strongest currency

Power Planet’s community-first philosophy drives its innovations. When large projects upgrade their solar panels, the company repurposes older but functional panels, offering them to farmers at 40–50 percent lower cost. That allows smallholders to run solar pumps without heavy financial strain.

Sohan says solar energy is not just about installing panels but about providing systems that offer opportunities to people.

Financing is tailored too. The company offers in-house payment plans and partners with NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) and banks such as State Bank of India to make solar accessible through loans and subsidies. “Some households may only want two bulbs. Others want to run their entire home. We design affordable systems for both,” says Sohan.

Yet, the toughest challenge has not been technology or financing. It has been trust. “In the early days, convincing communities about the long-term value of solar was a constant uphill task. People were unsure about reliability, payback, and even policies. Educating customers, while navigating regulatory shifts, tested us, but it also made us more resilient and adaptive,” Sohan shares.

That persistence has paid off. Today, Power Planet is no longer just a family-run venture. “It is a legacy-driven brand rooted in trust, with many projects coming from referrals and repeat clients,” he adds.

The engineer behind the mission

For Sohan, being a mechanical engineer helps him understand the technical side, but most of his knowledge has come from the field. “I still call my father for guidance when I’m stuck,” he admits. “Every project teaches me something new. That’s the beauty of renewable energy, it keeps evolving.”

Power Planet also repurposes older solar panels and offers customised financing options.

Beyond the engineering, it is his commitment to people that drives him. “Solar is often seen as just panels and batteries. But for me, it’s about solving real problems, whether it’s a student studying at night or a farmer saving his harvest,” he says.

Looking ahead, Power Planet plans to scale into larger commercial and industrial projects, integrate battery storage and build EV charging infrastructure. The goal is to become one of the most recognised solar brands in South India. Yet, the mission remains unchanged: to deliver reliable, affordable, clean energy where it’s needed most.

“Electricity changes everything, from education to health and livelihoods,” Sohan says. “When I see the joy on people’s faces, I know we’re not just powering homes. We’re powering dignity. For me, this journey has been deeply rewarding, and every satisfied customer reminds us why we started.”

All images courtesy Sohan Naik