A photo of Professor Chetan Singh Solanki, sitting in a New Delhi five-star hotel, sparked a social media buzz. But it wasn’t his talk that caught attention — it was his torn socks.

Mocked online, Solanki responded in a way only a true environmentalist could: “Yes, I can afford new socks, but nature cannot,” he wrote, sparking a powerful conversation about sustainability.

Known as the ‘Solar Man of India,’ Solanki is a professor at IIT Bombay and a committed climate activist. In 2020, he took unpaid leave to embark on a decade-long mission called the Energy Swaraj Yatra 2020-2030.

Travelling across India in a solar-powered bus that doubles as his home and mobile classroom, Solanki’s Yatra aims to reshape how we live. The bus, powered by eight solar panels, has everything the activist needs, including a workspace and training room for workshops.

From cities to remote villages, Solanki’s solar bus has covered over 60,000 km, hosting more than 1,100 sessions and addressing three lakh people. His goal is simple yet profound: to show how small actions can create big impacts.

In Madhya Pradesh, he built a solar-powered village school called Education Park. What makes this school unique is that it has no electricity connection and runs entirely on solar power, Solanki claims.

Solanki’s passion for energy conservation began during his PhD days in Europe, where he researched unconventional energy sources. Returning to India in 2004, he set his sights on making a real change.

“The world is a play of energy,” he says. From brushing our teeth to driving, every action consumes energy, most of it from fossil fuels. “We keep taking from this planet — but how much more, and for how long? There’s no second Earth to escape to.”

Solanki’s commitment to sustainability is deeply personal. Whether it’s his socks, shoes, or bag, he repairs and reuses them, believing, “I can afford to buy new things, but nature cannot afford the carbon emissions.”

One of Solanki’s most creative initiatives is #WAHMonday (Wrinkles Achhe Hain). He challenges people to avoid ironing clothes every Monday, turning it into a fashion statement. Why? Ironing a single pair of clothes emits 200g of CO2.

He also launched Energy Literacy Training, a 12-module educational programme that teaches people how to use energy responsibly. It compels participants to reflect: “Am I energy literate?”

Solanki plans to travel across India at least five times during his 11-year journey, spreading the message of sustainability. He also aims to recruit 10,000 volunteers as part of a large-scale climate initiative to create an even bigger impact.

“The planet is finite, but we treat it as if it’s limitless,” Solanki says. At the heart of his message is a simple truth: “Avoid what is avoidable.”