India's Cooling Action Plan aims to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits
In a ground-breaking collaboration, the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu (IIT Jammu), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and global cooling utilities leader Tabreed India have inaugurated an innovation lab and startup incubator to accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge, climate-smart cooling solutions in the Indian subcontinent.
Situated on the IIT Jammu campus, the lab is a key initiative under IFC's TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation programme, implemented in partnership with UK Aid and Tabreed India.
The lab, through an independent approach, will leverage IFC's global reach and Tabreed's extensive experience in deploying technology-agnostic cooling solutions, including AI/IOT solutions, nanotechnologies, and solar and renewable energy solutions for various applications such as hotels, shopping malls, data centres, cold chains, and transport.
The facility will provide state-of-the-art reusable environments for piloting and verifying new energy-efficient and cost-effective cooling technologies that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative follows COP28, highlighting the urgency of advancing sustainable solutions post-climate conference deliberations.
Sudheer Perla, Managing Director of Tabreed Asia, expressed pride in the partnership, emphasising its role in advancing the innovation ecosystem in sustainable cooling. The collaboration aims to meet the surging commercial demand in India and expedite the adoption of new sustainable cooling technologies and business models.
Dr. Satya Sekhar Bhogilla, Assistant Professor at IIT Jammu, noted the significance of the partnership in the context of India's Cooling Action Plan, which seeks to provide sustainable cooling while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits. The Cooling Innovation Lab (CIL) established through this partnership will focus on advanced cooling solutions, harnessing renewable energy, and promoting water conservation.
The lab serves as a catalyst to address gaps in the cooling market, subjecting solutions to rigorous testing and evaluation. The controlled environment at IIT Jammu ensures that these innovations are market-ready, deployable in real-world scenarios, and accessible and affordable for large-scale adoption.
IFC's TechEmerge programme, having conducted over 60 sustainable cooling pilots globally, facilitates the collaboration of promising innovators with local companies in emerging markets. The programme provides funding for field tests and support to bring climate-smart cooling solutions to scale where they are needed the most. TechEmerge innovators have already secured more than $35 million in financing, with over $2 million in commercial contracts currently under negotiation.