Of the half a million or so villages in India, about 310,000 villages have been declared to be electrified and 80,000 more villages remain completely un-electrified.

Decentralised Energy Systems India (DESI) runs a "Village EmPower Partnership project" to help provide energy and jobs in rural villages of India in an environmentally sustainable way. Each small biomass
power plant (100kw) built by DESI is owned by a village cooperative and creates at least 50 direct and indirect jobs per village. The increased income particularly helps improve the health and overall quality of life for women, while also increasing farm output and incomes.

DESI Power has built 7 power stations under the Pilot Phase of the Clean Development Mechanism prior to the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol, and has two EmPower Partnership Programme plants already running.

DESI Power was a winner of the 2006 World Bank Development Marketplace Competition.