The firms that are shortlisted include compnies from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Mumbai.
Four clean energy organisations from India have been shortlisted for this year's prestigious Ashden International Awards, known as the "Green Oscars".
The organisations shortlisted for the awards include a Gujarat-based company that specialises in blending sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings with beautiful design; a Rajasthan-based last-mile project to provide the hard-to-reach with access to clean energy; a Mumbai-based network enabling women salt farmers to increase revenue through solar-powered salt pumps and another firm which has succeeded in lighting up four million households in the country.
Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder-director of the awards which will be announced on June 9 said, "This year's shortlist is one of our most exciting ever and the enterprises and programmes that have made it this far are amazing leaders at the very forefront of a low carbon future." Abhikram, based in Ahmedabad, uses traditional materials and techniques like lime washing in new builds and has also retrofitted and preserved everything from palaces to temples.
For more than 30 years, the architectural practice has drawn on a deep rooted knowledge of traditional construction methods and materials. Parul Zaveri from the group said: "The teams of Abhikram and Panika, past and present, are extremely happy at being shortlisted for this prestigious award."
The group believes that this recognition strengthens its convictions, beliefs and design approaches in having initiated and promoted grassroot approaches to sustainability. "It also is recognition of our efforts in re-establishing the relevance of the use of traditional materials, technologies, processes and crafts in the contemporary context," Zaveri said. The other shortlisted organisation from India, Frontier Markets in Jaipur focuses on reaching the poorest and most remote areas.
The business offers a unique distribution model to provide high quality solar lamps and other solar systems to hard-to-reach villages, using a network of trained women called Solar Sahelis to be the face of their marketing and after-sales service.
To date, Frontier Markets has sold over 100,000 clean energy products in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Ajaita Shah from Frontier Markets said: "We are extremely honoured and excited about this nomination; especially because it's highlighting our efforts to empower women through energy access.
"This nomination will help us boost our efforts to bring more women in the forefront to energy access and hopefully help us scale our work on the ground. We believe women should be in the centre of energy, and we hope to showcase why through the Ashden Award."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Representational Image")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}