Off-grid renewable energy projects have a long history in India and have been used to deliver electricity (mainly for lighting) in remote rural areas. However a number of  unresolved technical, socio-economic and institutional problems affect the long term sustainability of such projects. The sustainable development of the DRE sector is hampered particularly by the high and inequitable tariffs for poor consumers, a lack of performance-based incentives and the perceived threat from the expanding centralised grid at the DRE project location. This article published in Hindu Business Line, 30th Nov 2012, explains these concerns and offers suggestions.