Bridging Technology and Markets in the Himalayan Region: An Inclusive Business Model for Clean Energy Adoption

Post harvest loss severely threatens smallholder livelihoods and food security across the Himalayan region of South Asian countries. Although improved solar dryers are technically viable, their adoption remains persistently low and unsustainable beyond donor-funded project lifecycles. This paper argues that the persistence of low adoption reflects shortcomings in business model design and institutional support rather than technological inadequacy alone. Employing a theoretically guided systematic literature review, this study integrates inclusive business model (IBM) theory, technology adoption theory (Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations and UTAUT), and institutional theory (North; DiMaggio and Powell) to develop a three-level conceptual framework for solar dryer adoption in high altitude agroecosystems. The framework positions inclusive business model configurations as the primary driver of sustained solar dryer adoption, moderated by institutional context and mediated by six interdependent adoption barriers, namely, economic, technical, market, social-cultural, institutional, and geographic. Three archetypal IBM configurations are theorized and compared: the micro-enterprise model, the cooperative shared-services model, and the social enterprise service provider model. Nepal and Bhutan serve as contrasting institutional cases, representing market-driven and state-coordinated governance contexts, respectively, to demonstrate how institutional environments shape the effectiveness of each configuration. The framework generates three empirically testable propositions concerning IBM fit, institutional moderation, and gender inclusion. This study contributes to the literature by advancing a context-specific, multi-level framework for technology scaling at the Base of the Pyramid in mountain agroecosystems, and by establishing a research agenda for comparative qualitative investigation in Nepal and Bhutan. This perspective offer actionable guidance for entrepreneurs, development practitioners, and policymakers seeking to foster resilient and inclusive agri-food systems in high-altitude regions.