Routes And Dates

The road tour took us from Chennai on January 2, 2009, travelling through 15 major cities including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jaipur through to Delhi, covering more than 3500 kilometers in our solar powered vehicles and low-carbon journey. A description of our events (even our charging points and misadventures) can be found in the map below, or described day-by-day in writing below.

 

 

Friday, Jan 2: CHENNAI
The Climate Solutions Road tour began with a Climate Leadership Training Program at University of Madras as a preliminary event towards the major launch
Saturday, Jan 3: CHENNAI
Flag-off launch from Chennai at Madras University, Senate Hall with VC of University of Madras. Ministry of Renewable Energy's Mobile Units were present to showcase renewable solutions. The launch featured a performance by Solar Punch and the Indian Youth Climate Network Team, as well as a showcase of Tour vehicles and cleantech technologies.
VELLORE
Campus visit to Vellore Institute of Technology and Buddha Smiles, a center for permaculture, natural buildings, and non-traditional education for young people.
BANGALORE:
Arrived in Bangalore to Infosys Electronic City campus to see solar water heating and solar powered Maini Materials golf carts, developed by the Climate Solutions team.
Sunday, Jan 4: BANGALORE
Climate Solutions Road Tour Launch at Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park, with Chetan Maini, CEO of Reva, followed by an Eco-Fest at Bal Bhavan, with cleantech company showcases; a climate change film festival; a performance by Solar Punch, the solar music band; and a Renewable Energy Workshop.
Book reading with Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder and former CEO of Infosys, on climate change and visions for the future. Presentation of IYCN Climate Solutions Project and Yale Fulbright Scholar Alexis Ringwald's "India Renewable Energy Trends".
Monday, Jan 5: BANGALORE
"What Every Manager Should Know About Climate Change" event with IYCN and Bangalore Management Association, followed by a "Climate and Cleantech Entrepreneurship and Team-Building Session" at IIM Bangalore with TIE
Climate Leadership Training at Infosys with university students and young professionals from across Bangalore and Karnataka, led by international youth
Tuesday, Jan 6: BANGALORE
Visit to Climate Solutions across Bangalore including T-Zero Energy Development, HP Data Center, Natural History Society, and more.
Wednesday, Jan 7:
Visited SEDS-Watershed Management Program, where water is being effectively conserved through drip irrigation and organic farming
Thursday, Jan 8
Performance by Solar Punch at Infosys Campus
Friday, Jan 9: HYDERABAD
Climate Leadership Training at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), with Chief guest Dr. D.N. Reddy, Vice Chancellor of JNTU and Dr. Ramana Rao, Principal of JNTU
Performance at Vandenburg IT (VIT) Park with Amala Akinneni, Actress and Climate Activist; Performance by Solar Punch; Presentation by Climate Solutions Tour
Saturday, Jan 10: HYDERABAD
Public event at Hussain Sagar with a running rally in the name of climate solutions, including a video documentation of youth perspectives on impacts and solutions
Climate Entrepreneurship event at Indian School of Business, followed by afternoon visits to climate solutions a) Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Green Business Center b) Visit Valence Energy's "Smart Solar Micro-Grid" climate solution project in Kompally
Climate Signing Petition at NTR Park with Solar Punch performance, followed by a climate walk and further petition signing at KBR Park on 11 January morning
Sunday, Jan 11: HYDERABAD
Visit villages of MC Pally and Japala to see biogas plants, natural water resource management and solar lantern projects
Monday, Jan 12: HYDERABAD
Climate celebration at Indus School Hyderabad including presentations by IYCN members, demonstrations of clean technology, a climate dance performance by Shiamak Davar's Victory Arts Foundation, a performance by Solar Punch, and a painting competition.
Wednesday, Jan 14: PUNE
Climate Solutions and Solar Punch performance at Infosys: Pune, to a crowd of hundreds
Thursday, Jan 15: PUNE
Marathi Schools eco-event with Center for Development Education, Solar Punch and Shiamak Davar Victory Arts Foundation dancers.
Eco-festival was critical to celebrate with Solar Punch, including a climate art project, Garden of Life plantation, and Shiamak Davar Victory Arts Foundation dancers.
Half of the team goes on a day trip to visit model eco-village, Ralegaon Siddhi of Anne Hazare
Friday, Jan 16: PUNE
Pune University Climate Leadership Training with students and CII-Young Indians at Pune University with a guest speaker of Dr. Narendra Jadhav, VC, Pune University.
Carbon Neutral Salsa Party with CleanStar Energy, where ticket purchase goes towards planting 1 biofuel jatropha tree to offset carbon emissions!
Saturday, January 17: MUMBAI
Series of roadside climate receptions at universities, including Ram Rao Adik Institute of Technology, SIES Nerul and many more
Climate Cultural Night with theater performance by Mumbai University students, Solar Punch and Shiamak Davar Victory Arts Foundation at Mumbai University, Kalina Campus
Sunday, Jan 18: MUMBAI
Mumbai Marathon: Directed the dream run Route with our electric cars leading the elderly runners
Solar Punch played for 10,000 people during their stage at the Mumbai Marathon Festival with Solar Punch
Monday, Jan 19: MUMBAI
Breakfast Talk by Mumbai Sheriff at Radio Club to discuss road tour with IYCN members
Climate Leadership Training at Mumbai University, Fort Campus, with a lunch time performance by Solar Punch (1:30 pm).
Kids for Tigers event with Sanctuary Magazine, environmental magazine for children. Solar Punch performance
Tuesday, Jan 20: MUMBAI
Eco-tour of Mumbai (including Maharastra Nature Park and Dharavi Recycling Unit), as well as Godrej Nature Park with Solar Punch performance
Mumbai Festival of Arts and Music hosted a performance by Solar Punch at Bandra Fort, overlooking the water and in the midst of a powerful concert line up.
Wednesday, Jan 21: GOA
Climate Workshop at BITS Goa, followed by a Solar Punch Concert
Thursday, Jan 22: GOA
St. Xavier's in North Goa for climate leadership training, as well as presentations by IYCN members at Goa College of Architecture, at Sharada Mandir School, and at Kala Academy
Solar concert with Solar Punch and REMO at Kala Academy
Saturday & Sunday, Jan 24 & 25: MUMBAI
Tech Fest at IIT Mumbai included a public Climate Solutions Showcase at the largest technology festival in Asia with 50,000 people
Monday, Jan 26: VALSAD
Arrived Valsad for lunch, visited Gadhia Solar Plant, and went to Dharampur to meet tribal girls in eco-center with evening lecture for schools.
Tuesday, Jan 27: GUJARAT VILLAGES
Sang traditional songs with village girls at Gadhia's tribal girls' school
One team spent the night with the Prince of Rajpipla, while the other group arrived at Muni Seva Ashram- Eco village with solar school and solar/biomass hospital
Wednesday, Jan 28: AHMEDABAD
Visit Center for Environmental Education green campus to meet with students for green activities, while other Road Tour team members met for dinner and took a Heritage Walk around old Ahmedabad, including highlighting traditional building designs
Thursday, Jan 29: AHMEDABAD
Daylong Eco-Fest at CEPT University, featuring more than 10 stalls of innovative entrepreneurs, installation art made of waste, and workshops all day. The festival ended with a Climate Cultural performance by Solar Punch, Shiamak Davar Victory Arts Foundation, Gujarat University Department of Drama, NIFT Eco-Fashion show, local musicians, and CEPT students
Climate Leadership Training at IPMG for all Ahmedabad students
Teams visited Gujarat Vidhyapith, an organization that teaches youth about the simple living of Gandhi in harmony with the environment; Dinesh Patel's organic farm; Gandhi's Ahmedabad Ashram and Kalam Kush, where handmade paper is made out of cloth waste
IYCN meeting with IIM professor Anil Gupta to learn about National Innovation Foundation and Honeybee Network, which identifies rural entrepreneurs in climate area
Friday, Jan 30: DUNGARPUR
Meeting with Forest Department and sponsored events at government college and school of Dungarpur
Saturday, Jan 31: UDAIPUR
Climate Function at Environment Department of MLSU University, with presentations by IYCN, SBBJ Bank, Dept of Environment from MLSU, Forest Dept, Dept of Science & Technology and Solar Punch
Sunday Feb 1: NADWARA & BEAWAR
Arrived in Nadwara to document Solar Dryer solutions for mouth freshner ingredients and continued on to Beawar to visit handmade paper making factory and local flyash cement factories
Monday, Feb 2: AJMER
Visit Barefoot College to enjoy a tour of the incredible campus, had lunch from a large solar cooker and took an afternoon tour with village female solar entrepreneurs trained to install and maintain solar panel solutions
Tuesday, Feb 3: JAIPUR
Jaipur Climate Leadership Training at Birla Institute of Science
Wednesday Feb 4: DELHI
The road tour entered Delhi with a Grand Finale Press Event at India Gate, with the Climate Solutions Team, Reva, Moser Baer, and Gaurav Kapoor (VJ and actor). The road tour team also met Dr RK Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at his Delhi Sustainable Development Summit
Thursday Feb 5: DELHI
At Miranda House, Delhi University, the road tour was celebrated with a Climate Solutions Rally, complete with multiple sustainable vehicles, including Revas from across the city, bicycle riders, cycle rickshaws, and more. The rally ended with performances by Victory Arts Foundation, Solar Punch, Jamghat and Aantaral.
Four members of the Climate Solutions Road Tour had the chance to meet President Pratibha Patil at her house in New Delhi, where the team presented her with an outline of the tour and our next steps forward, as well as gifting her a solar lantern.
Later that day, the road tour team celebrated Reva's technology at a Press Conference with Reva, and Solar Punch performed at the launch of Sweccha's video about waste management in Delhi, where Climate Solutions Road Tour members danced along street kids of Delhi and AIDS orphans from a nearby orphanage.
Friday Feb 6: DELHI
Climate Leadership Training for school children at the American Centre happened simultaneously with presentations and discussions at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit organized by The Energy & Resources Institute. IYCN members met with diplomats, NGO professionals, governmental officers, and reporters like Thomas Friedman.

At Dilli Haat, the team enjoyed climate performances, street play, workshops, sustainability stalls, Revas on display, and a performance by Solar Cities (a smaller version of Solar Punch)
Saturday Feb 7: DELHI
To celebrate the simultaneous return of IYCN member, Vinay Jaju, whose Climate Ride took him from Kolkata to Delhi on cycle, Climate Solutions Road Tour members joined him in riding from Vijay Chowk to India Gate – for all cyclists, electric car drivers, skateboarders, rollerbladers and any other sustainable transport vehicles
At JNU, a day of events celebrated the Climate Solutions Road Tour, including a trash clean-up, a performance by the Victory Arts Foundation, a talk on the "Law and Politics of Climate Change" by Prof. Bharat K Desai, a talk by Dunu Roy on: "Climate Change and Development Alternatives for India", and an environmental film festival.
A solar festival in Vasant Kunj brought the technology to the community, where Road Tour members sold remaining eco-products and enjoyed pakoras made from solar cookers on community rooftops. Many lucky participants enjoyed a ride in the solar cars.