{{short description|Indian social entrepreneur}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Harish Hande ‌ | image = Harish Hande - India Economic Summit 2011.jpg | image_size = | caption = Hande at the [[World Economic Forum]] India Economic Summit in 2011 | birth_place = Handattu, [[Udupi Taluk]], [[Udupi District]], [[Karnataka]] | occupation = [[Social entrepreneur]] | awards = [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] 2011 | alma_mater = [[IIT Kharagpur]]<br>[[University of Massachusetts Lowell]] }}

'''Harish Hande''' (born Handerto Harish Hande) is an Indian [[social entrepreneur]], who co-founded [[SELCO]] [[India]] in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/special/solar-crusader--harish-hande/story/1183.html|title=Solar crusader - Harish Hande- Business News|website=www.businesstoday.in|date=23 December 2007 |access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref>

He was awarded with the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] for 2011 for "his pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through his social enterprise [[SELCO India]]".<ref>{{cite news |title= Bangalorean gets Ramon Magsaysay Award|url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Bangalore/article2300127.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=28 July 2011 }}</ref>

== Early life == He was born in Handattu, [[Udupi District]], [[Karnataka]], and raised in [[Rourkela]], [[Orissa, India]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Asia-Pacific|last2=India|title=Harish Hande of SELCO India: Shedding Light on India's Underserved Markets|url=https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/harish-hande-of-selco-india-shedding-light-on-indias-underserved-markets/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Knowledge@Wharton|language=en}}</ref>

After completing his basic schooling in [[Odisha|Orissa]] in [[Ispat English Medium School]], he went to [[IIT Kharagpur]] for his [[Undergraduate education|undergraduate]] studies in [[energy engineering]] and graduated in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web|title = A toast to IIT Kharagpur|url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/books/article2885945.ece|website = The Hindu Business Line|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Bhattacharya|first=Saumya|date=13 January 2008|title=Solar Crusader|journal=Business Today}}</ref>

He then went to the [[United States]] to do his [[master's degree]] and later PhD in energy engineering at the [[University of Massachusetts Lowell]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title = Social Entrepreneur: Harish Hande (Part 1)|url = http://www.sramanamitra.com/2007/05/10/social-entrepreneur-harish-hande-part-1/|website = One Million by One Million|date = 10 May 2007|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref> == Career == [[Hande]] co-founded [[SELCO India|SELCO INDIA]] (in 1995), a [[social enterprise]], to eradicate poverty by promoting [[sustainable technologies]] in rural India.

[[SELCO India|SELCO]] India is a [[social enterprise]] that provides [[sustainable energy]] services to the poor in India.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nileema Mishra, Harish Hande win Magsaysay award|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nileema-Mishra-Harish-Hande-win-Magsaysay-award/articleshow/9385363.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820050345/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-27/india/29820340_1_ramon-magsaysay-magsaysay-award-solar-lights |url-status=live |archive-date=20 August 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=27 Jul 2011 }}</ref> Hande left the active management of [[SELCO India]] in 2014 and became the [[CEO]] of [[SELCO Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT Jodhpur |url=https://alumni.iitj.ac.in/f/Saturday-Webinar-Dr-Harish-Hande-Co-Founder-of-SELCO-India-August-8-5pm-5659?source=view |access-date=2021-07-20 |website=alumni.iitj.ac.in}}</ref>

== Awards and recognitions == [[SELCO India]] under the leadership of [[Hande]] has won the [[Ashden Award]] for [[Sustainable energy|Sustainable Energy]] 2005 and Accenture Economic Development Award for 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.techawards.org/laureates/stories/index.php?id=104|title = The Tech Awards Laureates 2005|access-date = 16 July 2011|archive-date = 21 July 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721012043/http://www.techawards.org/laureates/stories/index.php?id=104|url-status = dead}}</ref>

In 2007, [[SELCO India|SELCO INDIA]] again won the [[Ashden Award]], this time for "[[Outstanding Achievement Medal|Outstanding Achievement]]" in energy sector.<ref>{{Cite web|title = International winners 2007|url = http://www.ashdenawards.org/finalists_2007|website = Ashden Awards, sustainable and renewable energy in the UK and developing world|access-date = 2016-01-02|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071230062003/http://www.ashdenawards.org/finalists_2007|archive-date = 30 December 2007|url-status = dead}}</ref> The award was presented by [[Al Gore]], former vice president of the [[United States of America]].

[[Hande]] was named the [[Social entrepreneurship|Social Entrepreneur]] of the Year 2007 by the [[Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship]]<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title = Harish Hande {{!}} Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship|url = http://www.schwabfound.org/content/harish-hande|website = www.schwabfound.org|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref> and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121114708/http://www.khemkafoundation.org/ Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation].

In 2008, Hande was chosen by [[Business Today (India)|Business Today]] as one of the "21 young leaders for India’s 21st century".<ref name=":0" /> Later, in June 2008, [[India Today]] named him one of the 50 pioneers of change in India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&issueid=60&task=view&id=10476&Itemid=1|title=Let there be light|publisher=India Today|date=26 June 2008|access-date=16 July 2012}}</ref> He was elected an [https://www.ashoka.org/en-US/fellow/harish-hande Ashoka Fellow] in 2008.

In 2011 he was awarded the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award|Magsaysay Award]] for "''his passionate and pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through a social enterprise that brings customized, affordable, and sustainable electricity to India’s vast rural populace, encouraging the poor to become asset creators.”''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hande, Harish • The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation • Honoring greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia|url=https://www.rmaward.asia/awardees/hande-harish/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=www.rmaward.asia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Two Indians among winners of Magsaysay Award 2011 - Rediff.com India News|url = http://www.rediff.com/news/report/two-indians-among-winners-of-magsaysay-award-2011/20110727.htm|website = www.rediff.com|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref> Hande was also awarded the [[Karnataka]] [[Rajyotsava Prashasti]] in 2011 by the Government of [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Karnataka: Harish Hande among 50 state awardees|url = http://ibnlive.in.com/news/karnataka-harish-hande-among-50-state-awardees/197777-60-115.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111104021016/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/karnataka-harish-hande-among-50-state-awardees/197777-60-115.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2011-11-04|website = IBNLive|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref><ref name="cleanenergysolutions.org">{{Cite web|title=Clean Energy Solutions Center {{!}} Harish Hande|url=https://cleanenergysolutions.org/people/harish-hande|access-date=2021-07-20|website=cleanenergysolutions.org}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In 2013 the trustees of [[University of Massachusetts]] awarded him the [[Doctorate of Humane Letters]].<ref name="cleanenergysolutions.org" /><ref>{{Citation|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG0CAXhGXl0|access-date = 2016-01-02| title=Doctor of Humane Letters Award - Harish Hande - UMass Lowell 2013 Graduate Commencement (2:41) }}</ref>

In 2014 [[IIT Kharagpur]] conferred upon him the distinguished alumnus award.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alumni {{!}} Alumnus Award|url=http://alumni.iitkgp.ac.in/Alumniweb/Alumaward|access-date=2021-07-20|website=alumni.iitkgp.ac.in|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419184519/http://alumni.iitkgp.ac.in/Alumniweb/Alumaward|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Harish Hande}} {{RMA winners of India}} {{Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hande, Harish}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Karnataka]] [[Category:IIT Kharagpur alumni]] [[Category:University of Massachusetts Lowell alumni]] [[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]] [[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]] [[Category:People associated with solar power]] [[Category:Solar power in India]] [[Category:People from Udupi district]] [[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]] [[Category:Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2011]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]