Three Indian firms in 2015 Ashden Awards shortlist

The shortlist for the 2015 Ashden Awards, popularly called the ‘Green Oscars’, features three Indian projects that promote sustainable living. The firms are Mahindra Lifespaces, Greenlight Planet and SunBest India. The shortlist features ten firms from around the world that provide solutions for a sustainable living, that have the least ecological impact.

Mahindra Lifespaces provides solution for lessening the carbon imprint in urban spaces by building homes that produce less carbon emissions. It is active in urban Indian cities like Mumbai. To lessen the carbon emissions, Mahindra Lifespaces builds houses that have abundant and efficient natural lighting, thereby requiring less artificial lights. Mahindra Lifespaces says this helps the home owners save on energy and cut back on carbon emissions. The costs on the energy saving measures are repaid in seven years in the form of savings on fuel bills, the company says.

Greenlight Planet makes versatile solar lamps that give out more light and last longer. They can be put on a stand, carried around or hung on a wall as well. To sell its solar lamps, Greenlight Planet relies on an army of village agents that sell these lamps to people who need them the most. Greenlight Plant has so far sold nearly 3 million lamps in 33 countries.

SunBest’s solar solutions have helped Indian tea and spice makers save money and also reduce their carbon footprints. It’s solar heaters have replaced the process of drying the tea leaves and spices in air heated by burning large amounts of wood. Though not used on a large scale, the solutions are being recognized for their potential to help in reducing the carbon emissions substantially.

The Ashden Awards will be given away on June 11 in UK.