The challenge: India is staring an energy crisis. On the one hand there is the huge demand for energy posed by growth and development. On the other hand there's the power generation sector that's simply unable to cope with the rising demand.

What's more, vast pockets of the country continue to live in the dark. Shocker: 400 million people in India live without electricity.

It's against this background that Schneider Electric entered its 50th year in India. But rather than just have a celebration, Schneider Electric decided to do something more meaningful.

The mission: Save 50 million kilo watt hours of energy for the country. Schneider Electric took it upon itself to save energy and contribute it to those who lack it.

The strategy: Seek energy-saving ideas from the people. Embark on India's first crowd-sourced energy conservation campaign.

The execution: Films, print ads and outdoor worked in tandem to create awareness of the initiative and urge people to contribute ideas. The Schneider Electric website became a repository of ideas contributed. And these ideas became points for discussion on social media.

The results: With over 2500 ideas submitted, the initiative became a talking point among people and businesses. But rather than be judged by likes and shares, the campaign is best judged by cold statistics: 51 million kilo watt hours of energy saved thus far!

Why this is a PR entry: It relies on action on ground to create a favourable impression among the community and indeed the country.

Starting August 2013, the plan was Schneider Electric's way of celebration of its 50th anniversary in India. Schneider Electric offices across the country played their part in taking the initiative forward. With 50 million kilo watt hours of energy already saved, plans are afoot to continue the initiative well into the next year and possibly even across geographies.

It's not just a question of saving energy but of improving lives. Schneider Electric will donate the energy saved to parts of the country that are starved of energy. It will carry light to dispel darkness.

59434 Microsite visitors. 53962 Facebook page likes. Over 1000 App downloads. 650000-Euro opportunity value generated through industry events.

The following url gives a complete account of the on-going initiative: http://50for50.schneider-electric.com/in/50years.php

The Schneider Electric Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/SchneiderElectricIN - features events associated with the 50 ideas to save 50 million kilo watt hours of energy.

The Schneider Electric Marathon App acts as an aid to individuals who want to monitor their energy consumption and save energy.

But perhaps the best measure is that over 2500 ideas were submitted and over 50 million kilo watt hours of energy saved.