Solar Powered Blacksmith Power Hammer and Blower

Solar for Livelihoods

Laingam Iron House, Imphal

Laingam Iron House is a small blacksmith shop run by a couple — Thangjam Liangam and his wife Thangjam Merina, of Sagolband Thangjam Leirak. They were largely dependent on manual tools. A hand blower to heat the metal, and hammers weighing more than three to five kilos, made the work extremely tedious. The couple were facing health problems, demand was barely being met, and they could rarely deliver orders on time.

A simple innovation — a solar-powered blacksmith blower and power hammer, designed and implemented with the help of SELCO Foundation and supported by Tata Trusts — addressed most of those problems at once. The power hammer saves electricity costs and time, and has increased their overall output. Their income multiplied, and the physical strain on them reduced sharply.

"The burden on our bodies reduced, and our income grew. What could get better than this?"

Merina Thangjam — Laingam Iron House, Sagolband Thangjam Leirak, Imphal

"The solar-powered blower and power hammer have transformed our work. What was once slow and physically exhausting is now faster and easier. Our daily income has increased from around ₹200–300 to nearly ₹3,000, while the strain on our bodies has reduced significantly."

Thangjam Liangam — Laingam Iron House, Sagolband Thangjam Leirak, Imphal

Why this project matters

Livelihood systems are where a small amount of well-placed energy does the most work. This is not a large installation, and it was never meant to be. It replaced physical drudgery with reliable power at the exact point in the process where it changed what the business could take on.

Eartheners is working towards 1,000 new solar-powered livelihood interventions before 31 March 2027. Read more about our Impact & Off-Grid Solutions.