Clean Energy Access Network

What Clean Energy Access Network does

Clean Energy Access Network (CLEAN) is a non-profit industry association founded in 2014 in India and headquartered in Pune, with a regional office in New Delhi. It operates as a membership-based national network dedicated exclusively to the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, serving for-profit and non-profit organizations developing, manufacturing, distributing, or deploying DRE solutions including solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and clean cooking technologies. CLEAN's primary constituents are DRE enterprises across India, and it provides them with policy advocacy, market intelligence, networking, finance facilitation, training, and standards support.

CLEAN's core platform offerings include the DRE Tracker (a sector monitoring tool covering deployment, policies, investments, and impact across mini/micro grids, standalone projects, clean cooking, green fuels, and DRE appliances), the India Renewable Energy Appliances Portal (IREAP) — an open-access catalog of over 400 DRE products across 24 categories co-developed with GIZ — and the Finance Facilitation Desk, which connects DRE enterprises with banks, MFIs, and impact investors. The organization also publishes the State of the DRE Sector reports, runs the Watt Matters member spotlight series, and hosts the Urja Talk podcast. Its flagship convening platform is the India Distributed Renewable Energy Summit (IDRES), which in its 2026 edition drew more than 400 participants and 40 exhibitors under the patronage of India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

CLEAN's business model relies on a token annual membership fee of Rs. 5,900 per organization, supplemented by institutional support from its 11 charter members — TERI, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, SELCO Foundation, GIZ, UN Foundation, WWF India, CEEW, Ashden India Renewable Energy Collective, The Climate Group, the Nand and Jeet Khemka Foundation, and IREF. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization has not received venture capital or private equity investment. The governance structure includes a Governing Board led by a President (Nitin Akhade), with a small core executive team headed by CEO Dr. Priyadarshini Karve and Executive Director Vedant Manore.

Name

Clean Energy Access Network

Legal name

Clean Energy Access Network

Website

https://thecleannetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLEAN is an India-based non-profit industry association serving decentralized renewable energy (DRE) enterprises through membership, policy advocacy, sector data platforms (DRE Tracker, IREAP), finance facilitation, and its flagship IDRES summit, backed by 11 charter member institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pune

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CLEAN generates revenue through annual membership fees of Rs. 5900 (inclusive of GST) per fiscal year for organizations. Membership provides access to finance facilitation, networking, policy engagement, skills training, and technology resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CLEAN is a non-profit, membership-based industry association that unites Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) enterprises operating in India. It sells an Annual Organization Membership (Rs. 5,900 per fiscal year) and delivers sector-monitoring platforms (DRE Tracker), an open-access product repository (IREAP with 400+ products across 24 categories), and a Finance Facilitation Desk that connects DRE enterprises with banks, MFIs, and small finance banks alongside convening events such as the IDRES summit.

Product overview

CLEAN (Clean Energy Access Network) is a non-profit industry association that supports and unifies DRE enterprises in India. The organization operates as a membership network with several interconnected platforms and publications. Its core offerings include: the DRE Tracker (a comprehensive monitoring platform for DRE sector progress across verticals including mini/micro grids, clean cooking, green fuels, and DRE appliances), the India Renewable Energy Appliances Portal (IREAP) (an open-access repository listing over 400 DRE products across 24 categories), and the Finance Facilitation Desk (a platform connecting DRE enterprises with financial institutions and investors). Additionally, CLEAN produces content through the Urja Talk podcast and Watt Matters member spotlight series. The organization focuses on providing sustainable energy solutions to rural and underserved communities through solar, wind, hydro, and biomass technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IDRES: India Distributed Renewable Energy Summit - CLEAN's flagship platform to accelerate India's energy transition and advance the net-zero mission through national, sub-national, and global exchanges.
• Watt Matters
• Urja Talk
• DRE Tracker
• India Renewable Energy Appliances Portal (IREAP)
• Finance Facilitation Desk (FFD)

Products and services

• Annual Organization Membership Token-fee annual membership (Rs. 5,900 inclusive of GST per fiscal year) for DRE enterprises and sector organizations, providing access to finance facilitation, networking, policy engagement, skills training, and technology resources, including invoice and WhatsApp-group onboarding within 15 days.
• DRE Tracker Comprehensive tracking platform that monitors the progress of India's Decentralised Renewable Energy sector across verticals including mini/micro grids, DRE standalone projects, clean cooking/thermal applications, green fuels, DRE appliances, and adjacent developments in e-mobility, green hydrogen, and storage, covering deployment status, policies and regulations, investment and funding trends, and socio-economic-environmental impacts.
• India Renewable Energy Appliances Portal (IREAP) Open-access repository for DRE products and services across India, listing over 400 products across 24 categories including clean cooking, solar lighting, productive-use appliances, irrigation, and home appliances, with 199 solar water pumps ranging from 0.5 HP to 55 HP.
• Finance Facilitation Desk (FFD) Platform that assists DRE enterprises and investors to communicate and converge across three areas: Financial Institutions and their products, Financial and Business Opportunities, and Market Intelligence, incorporating a database of financial products offered by banks, MFIs, and small finance banks active in India's DRE sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 DRE products listed in IREAP portal
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major, academic and core.

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Government ministry partnered with CLEAN to organize IDRES 2026 summit. Provides ministerial patronage and policy direction for India's DRE sector.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Knowledge partner and session speaker at IDRES 2026. Focuses on scaling distributed solar across the Global South.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Development partner participating in IDRES 2026 sessions. Supports inclusive energy transition through development partnerships.
• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Session partner and speaker at IDRES 2026. Knowledge partner providing evidence-led pathways for distributed energy.
• CLASPmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Co-partner for Energy Efficiency and Standardisation Workshop at IDRES 2026. Focuses on appliance standards and labeling.
• GOGLAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Partner for Quality Assurance and Consumer Code of Protection Workshop at IDRES 2026. Global off-grid lighting association.
• SELCO FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Partner for Strengthening CSOs for Last-mile DRE Services Workshop at IDRES 2026.
• Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Global industry partner at IDRES 2026. Focuses on India-EU private sector collaboration for scaling DRE.
• India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Global industry partner at IDRES 2026. Works on energy storage and e-mobility technologies in India.
• World Resources Institute (WRI) IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Session partner at IDRES 2026. Focus on energy transition finance and climate action.
• IIT BombayacademicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Academic partner at IDRES 2026. Provides research and technical expertise for DRE sector.
• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014TERI is a charter member and founding partner of CLEAN. Provides research expertise, policy analysis, and institutional support for DRE sector development in India.
• Shakti Sustainable Energy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member providing funding and strategic support for clean energy initiatives and DRE sector development.
• SELCO FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member focused on sustainable energy solutions, brings expertise in social enterprise models for energy access.
• GIZcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member and implementing partner. Supports DRE sector through technical cooperation and funding. Co-developed India Renewable Energy Appliances Portal (IREAP) with CLEAN.
• UN FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member providing international perspective and support for sustainable energy development.
• WWF IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member bringing environmental conservation expertise and network to DRE sector.
• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member and knowledge partner. Provides policy research and analysis for DRE sector development.
• Ashden India Renewable Energy CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member focused on clean cooking and renewable energy solutions, brings expertise from global Ashden awards program.
• The Climate Group (TCG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member supporting climate action and clean energy transition initiatives in India.
• Indian Renewable Energy Federation (IREF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Charter member representing renewable energy stakeholders and advocating for sector-friendly policies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GOGLA: Global industry association for the off-grid solar lighting sector, headquartered in the Netherlands. Directly comparable as a non-profit trade body serving decentralized energy enterprises, with which CLEAN co-hosts quality assurance and consumer protection workshops at IDRES.
• Indian Renewable Energy Federation (IREF): India-focused industry federation representing renewable energy stakeholders across solar, wind, biomass, and small hydro. Comparable as a fellow charter member of CLEAN and as a broader Indian renewable energy industry body with overlapping member enterprises.
• Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE): Brussels-based international business association for decentralised renewable energy. Directly comparable as a DRE industry network advocating for enabling policy and private-sector collaboration, and a Global Industry Partner at IDRES 2026.
• Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA): Global multi-stakeholder initiative hosted by the UN Foundation to increase the use of clean cooking solutions. Comparable as a sector-shaping convener for a sub-vertical of DRE (clean cooking/thermal), overlapping with CLEAN's clean cooking focus and member base.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI) India: Global research organization with a major India program on energy transition finance. Comparable as a session partner at IDRES 2026 and as a broader climate/energy institution whose work intersects with CLEAN's DRE finance agenda.
• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): India's premier energy and environment research institute and a founding charter member of CLEAN. Comparable as a sector influencer with overlapping mission on sustainable energy access, though operating primarily as a research/policy institution rather than a member association.
• Ashden: UK-headquartered climate solutions charity that runs the Ashden Awards for clean energy enterprises. Comparable as a charter member of CLEAN and as an adjacent award/recognition platform driving visibility for DRE innovators in emerging markets.
• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW): One of South Asia's leading policy research institutions on energy, environment, and water. Comparable as a charter member and knowledge partner of CLEAN, and as a broader policy think-tank that shapes the same DRE narrative through research rather than convening.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA): Intergovernmental alliance of 120+ solar-rich countries headquartered in India. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder convener promoting distributed solar across the Global South, and a knowledge partner at IDRES 2026.

Emerging players

• Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP): Philanthropic alliance (Rockefeller, IKEA Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund) supporting clean energy access in underserved communities. Comparable as a speaker partner at IDRES 2026 and as a funding/coordination actor whose portfolio overlaps CLEAN's livelihood-generation agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thecleannetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean--clean-energy-access-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Energy Access Network