The Indian HVAC market has witnessed unprecedented growth during the past decade on account of rising investments by corporate sector, increased construction activities, rapid industrialisation and the growth of the service sector. The rising need for energy efficient HVAC systems, surging infrastructure-based developments and growing replacement demand for HVAC systems are expected to drive the future industry growth. However, COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to the industry, leading to a simultaneous collapse of both supply and demand. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a sudden and significant impact on all aspects of our lives – it will change how people reside and work after COVID-19. Once the recovery from the effects of this pandemic starts, the HVAC industry too is expected to witness drastic changes in end-users segments. In order to address such challenges, the manufacturers are gearing up for life after coronavirus. This report highlights some of the key trends that will shape the future of the HVAC industry.

Neeraj Gupta, Senior General Manager – Living Environment Division, Mitsubishi Electric India Pvt Ltd said, ”Some of the trends that we can foresee for HVACR business post COVID-19 are online buying as people will be hesitant to venture out especially for the things we can so easily get through the Internet, shifting to high quality highly reliable products to reduce the service team visit to customer premises as human contact will probably still be fearful, increase in warranty terms like up to 10 years for gaining the customer confidence, extension of credit facility through financing companies etc.”

Over the past few years a variety of trends have been shaping the HVAC industry that are designed to make systems not only more efficient, but overall more environmentally friendly. More so after the pandemic, systems will be relying on more modern refrigerants, but technology is doing a better job of meeting HVAC needs, said Gupta.

Daniel Chen, HVAC APAC Marketing Manager, CAREL expressed that COVID-19 has changed everything. He lists:

• More and more consumers are expressing concerns about the environmental impact of the products and services they buy. They are willing to pay more for options that are more health and environmentally friendly than others.
• Smart HVAC systems are in demand more than ever. From self-regulation to sensors to remote temperature adjustment to integration of energy controls, technology gives us more control than ever.
• The Internet of Things, or IoT, is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for remote supervisory and troubleshooting. Even when the pandemic subsides and we return to some semblance of normal life, the remote work trends adopted during the pandemic are likely to remain in some form.

Ventilation is turning out to be the saviour

Talking about the for HVACR industry post COVID-19 world, Rahul Aeron, Assistant Vice President, Sales, DRI – Pahwa Group observes:
”Ventilation is turning out to be the saviour. Prudent ventilation in air conditioned spaces and using cooling machines (evaporative cooling) in industrial spaces will help in retarding the spread of virus.”
Abhishek Khullar, Regional Manager – North & East, Dunham-Bush India said, ”The point of focus now is indoor air quality (IAQ) with the help of using a better ventilation system of adding fresh air in the system and using products like Bipolar Ionization (Plasma) and UVGI (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation) in air distribution system.”

Focus on digitalisation and remote monitoring

Considering the increasing demand for sustainable solutions with high levels of energy efficiency, sustainable HVAC solutions with end-to-end applications are expected to pave the way in the post COVID-19 era, said Gaurav Mathur, Business Development (Building Services), Grundfos India. ”This is going to be coupled with the demand for technology centric solutions such as IoT to automate the HVAC systems.”

He adds, ”We expect building constructions of industry to be focusing more on digitalisation and remote monitoring, which will enhance better indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Productivity in construction industry will receive a big boost from prefabrication, modularisation and standardisation of building equipment such as prefabricated and skid-mounted pumping systems, air-handling units etc. This will be achieved by reducing on-site work, better quality control and faster delivery times.”

Increased level of intelligence

Commercial establishments have multiple occupancy as well as transient visitors that necessitate precaution in operating the HVAC systems. Optimum temperature and humidity levels are extremely important to prevent bacterial infections in the commercial establishments from spreading; also there is a demand for fresh air circulation within the buildings. The HVAC system shall play a major role in bringing employees back to work, by ensuring enhanced level of indoor air quality (IAQ). Actively monitoring temperature, humidity, CO2, noise, light and volatile organic compound (VOC) levels aggregate and rank these conditions with a comfort score and pinpoint issues to improve work environments. This will give rise to IoT sensors distributed evenly across buildings that can monitor and report the air quality, opines Sanjay Sudhakaran, Vice President – Digital Energy, Greater India Zone at Schneider Electric.

He adds, ”The industry will drive towards Cloud-based AI system that captures the data and further analyses to provide more meaningful insights into the IAQ. The ability to integrate dynamic data from Cloud-based software with HVAC system is important, so that the systems can be controlled based on the real-time internal air conditions by automatically activating and deactivating the HVAC systems.”

Deal with varied load conditions depending on occupancy rate

Social distancing is the new normal and it is expected to continue for a while. Technology driven social distancing will take precedence to ensure people operate from safe distances. ”The HVAC systems will have to deal with varied load conditions depending on the occupancy rate in the buildings due to staggered attendance. Rationalizing square foot occupancy per employee and changing office space usage patterns will be necessary. Higher employee expectations regarding their workspace experience will pose greater challenges in commercial building spaces. Hence, the Facility Managers will be looking out for reliable space management and people management tools to maximize their operational efficiency,”said Sudhakaran.

With progressive economy, new building technologies began to transform the urban landscape. The advent of air conditioning, low-wattage fluorescent lighting, structural steel, and reflective glass made possible enclosed glass-and-steel structures that could be heated and cooled with massive heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, thanks to the availability of cheap fossil fuels. The economic boom accelerated the pace of this phenomenon, to the point where the international style ‘glass box’ became the design icon of cities and rapidly growing suburbs. However, a small group of forward-thinking architects, environmentalists, and ecologists, began to question the advisability of building in this manner, said Rahul Aeron, Assistant Vice President, Sales, DRI – Pahwa Group.

Global warming and the growing awareness of the same led to the nascent ”environmental movement” capturing the attention of the public at large. As fossil fuel prices spiked upward and lines at fuel stations stretched for blocks, everyone started to wonder about the wisdom of relying so heavily on fossil fuels for transportation and buildings.

Besides the media buzz about building eco-friendly, today builders are becoming more educated on long-term cost reductions created by more efficient energy usage and the reduction or even outright elimination of toxins in building materials. ”Up until recently, however, building green usually meant building at a higher cost. But even those premiums are beginning to drop. The US Green building Council (USGBC) then came up with the concept of LEED rating system to establish a method to identify and quantify the green content of the building”, Aeron adds.

Green building could be defined as the practice of:

• Increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water, and materials, and
• Reducing building impacts on human health by providing better indoor environment (IEQ).

According to Aeron, ”Green Building movement has been driving the HVAC community for now about a decade to look at innovative solutions for reducing the energy cost and better IEQ (Indoor Environment Quality). The ventilation and air conditioning system which is a key component in green building design is on the verge of a paradigm shift. This shift is providing designers opportunities to explore energy efficient designs. The new initiatives are aimed at improving health, comfort and productivity.”

HVAC systems play vital role in green buildings since many of the green building factors are affected by the performance of the HVAC systems. Talking about the role of HVAC systems in a green building, Neeraj Gupta, Senior General Manager – Living Environment Division, Mitsubishi Electric India said, ”HVAC system for green building shall be planned to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the indoor conditions at a comfortable level to keep occupant’s health and productivity. HVAC system created should not only meet the standard on energy front but beat the standard codes like Energy Conservation Building Codes (ECBC), India and other relevant standards to achieve efficient and higher level of green building rating.”

HVAC systems account for nearly 40 to 50 per cent of the energy used in commercial buildings in India, observed Sanjay Sudhakaran, Vice President – Digital Energy, Greater India Zone at Schneider Electric. Hence, in his opinion, HVAC systems have greater influence in transforming the building to green by achieving better energy efficiency, sustainability and reducing the operating cost. He said, ”The design of the HVAC system for a green building should reduce energy consumption while maintaining the indoor conditions at a comfortable level to keep occupant’s health and productivity. A comprehensive building management system, that will ensure the overall efficiency by intelligently managing the aspects of HVAC, lighting, safety and security, plays key role in making green buildings.”

Daniel Chen, HVAC APAC Marketing Manager, CAREL also observes that HVAC systems play a very important role in a green building to reduce energy consumption, deliver a comfortable and healthy work environment. He said, ”HVAC systems account for nearly 50 to 60 per cent of the energy used in green buildings in India. Consequently, any green building has the potential to realise significant savings by improving its control and efficiency of HVAC operations.”

Therefore, a shift to more energy efficient and sustainable HVAC systems will ensure that buildings can be classified as green, opines Gaurav Mathur, Business Development (Building Services), Grundfos India. ”These green buildings will be able to integrate intelligent HVAC systems to increase the overall energy savings without compromising on the performance. In the long run, an efficient HVAC system will be instrumental in ensuring that the green building continues to meet and surpass regulatory parameters associated with sustainability,” he adds.

Any commercial building has the potential to realise significant savings by improving its control of HVAC operations and improving the efficiency of the system it uses. ”An integrated and comprehensive design process beginning at a project’s planning stage is required to optimise the HVAC design and HVAC commissioning and operation for green buildings,” said Gupta.

Advanced HVAC solution trends for green buildings

According to Daniel Chen from CAREL, ”The most advanced HVAC solution trend is to deliver energy savings while providing customised comfort and health. Having a high-performance HVAC system is extremely important to the green building designer. A health and comfortable working environment has a very positive impact on productivity.”

According to Aeron from DRI – Pahwa Group, the advanced HVAC solution trends for green buildings will include:

• Using hybrid systems specially for adaptive comforts
• Using renewable sources such as Solar and geothermal systems
• Using desiccant enhanced systems.

He further adds, ”An interesting solution which is gaining a lot of interests is integration of DOAS (Dedicated Outdoor Air System) or Treated Fresh Air Units (TFAs) with parallel terminal system that offers a migratory path from the single all-air variable air volume systems.”

For example, active chilled beams combined with system design suitable for tropical climate, the DOAS becomes an excellent choice to address IAQ (indoor air quality), humidity control and help buildings become green.

The dedicated OA concept, the new OA paradigm!

DOAS in their various configurations are ideal especially in the tropical perspective, as DOAS options provide both supply air at low dew point and with minimal energy usage. The basic concept is to deliver conditioned Outdoor Air (OA) to every space and occupant of the building. Use the OA to remove the entire space latent load (primarily from occupants who receive a prescribed flow rate of OA). By decoupling the latent and sensible space loads, great flexibility in meeting the parallel sensible loads is realised.

The DOAS approach calls for dividing the load into the two components i.e. sensible and latent. This approach is often or commonly referred to as the ”Divide and Conquer”. The entire latent load brought by outside air is removed at the source & also air is supplied at a low dew point to take care of internal latent load. The parallel internal cooling devices are then limited to take care of sensible cooling load.

This is perfectly suited for spaces with high latent loads viz. areas having high occupancy like hotels, malls, BPO, IT offices, hospitals etc.

”With the green building movement strongly acquiring its foothold globally, it will be very important and critical for designers to come up with innovative solutions. The requirement today is for a single integrated intelligent, single responsibility, unitised DOAS to effectively provide the best green, fresh air system solution,”said Aeron.

Increased level of intelligence

Commercial establishments have multiple occupancy as well as transient visitors that necessitate precaution in operating the HVAC systems. Optimum temperature and humidity levels are extremely important to prevent bacterial infections in the commercial establishments from spreading; also there is a demand for fresh air circulation within the buildings. The HVAC system shall play a major role in bringing employees back to work, by ensuring enhanced level of indoor air quality (IAQ). Actively monitoring temperature, humidity, CO2, noise, light and volatile organic compound (VOC) levels aggregate and rank these conditions with a comfort score and pinpoint issues to improve work environments. This will give rise to IoT sensors distributed evenly across buildings that can monitor and report the air quality, opines Sanjay Sudhakaran, Vice President – Digital Energy, Greater India Zone at Schneider Electric.

He adds, ”The industry will drive towards Cloud-based AI system that captures the data and further analyses to provide more meaningful insights into the IAQ. The ability to integrate dynamic data from Cloud-based software with HVAC system is important, so that the systems can be controlled based on the real-time internal air conditions by automatically activating and deactivating the HVAC systems.”

Adding intelligence to HVAC solutions

Industry 4.0 technologies are being introduced to traditional HVAC solutions to augment its existing utility. Intelligent pumping solutions with smart sensors can be used to collect data such as indoor and outdoor temperature to provide actionable insights, said Mathur from Grundfos India. ”These insights can even help the HVAC system to identify temperature changes on a real time basis and make the necessary adjustments. This will ensure that energy is consumed optimally on a demand basis and that there is no waste of resources.”

The sensors can also provide information associated with potential downtime through its predictive maintenance capabilities to mitigate unexpected maintenance costs and improve the overall lifecycle of the HVAC system.

Neeraj Gupta from Mitsubishi Electric India illustrates some of the trends in HVAC design from thermal comfort strategies to decoupling ventilation from heating and cooling and indirect evaporative cooling. They are:

• Occupant-based thermal comfort strategies: Systems like radiant cooling help to reduce energy use and improve thermal comfort. Thermal comfort can be directly addressed through other systems such as using low-energy systems to provide localised heating and cooling or by controlling the HVAC system through occupant polling.
• Decoupling of ventilation and heating/cooling: With a DOAS system, the heating and cooling requirements for space are met through a hydronic system. Since water has a much higher capacity for energy transfer than air, the amount of energy required to deliver the heating and cooling is greatly reduced, while pump energy is somewhat increased. A side benefit of the reduced air quantity is smaller ductwork, which decreases the cost of the ventilation system and, potentially, the building’s required floor-to-floor height. DOAS systems are typically paired with passive chilled beams, radiant heating and cooling, or fan coils.
• Indirect evaporative cooling: When it comes to green buildings, owners and architects are striving to meet HVAC loads with optimum comfort and minimal energy. Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC) offers a highly efficient way to cool an indoor space without raising the humidity. This system works well when combined with radiant technology for heating and cooling and DOAS for ventilation.

Individual HVAC controls

‘Green Building’ is continually evolving concept and the industry is re-inventing buildings to be more engaging, hyper-efficient, truly sustainable and above all simple. Occupants demand more and more control over their work space driven by a ”there’s an app for that!”mantra, office environment and comfort is more important than paycheck for a majority of millennials. ”HVAC design should embrace the standard codes like ASHRAE and ECBC while meeting the modern trends of smart and autonomous buildings. IP enabled products are gaining more traction for easy integration of devices between other building syste” Sudhakaran from Schneider Electric said.

Based on a research, about 75 percent of a building’slife cycle costs are in maintenance and operations, and upto 45 percent of the energy used by HVAC systems is wasted due to faults. By being proactive versus reactive about maintenance using analytics and deep insights, we can significantly increase building’s overall efficiency. Hence, in Sudhakaran’s opinion, the latest trend is of advisory services that combine smart tools including analytics, reports, remote troubleshooting, alarm monitoring, and service bureaus manned with building controls.

HVAC systems are cornerstone of green buildings and new technologies brings new possibilities while at the same time users are demanding more to unlock untapped building value. Advances in mobile, Cloud-based and IoT technologies are creating enormous opportunities for information gathering, sharing, and analytics impacting the way buildings are run.

How has your company’s journey been in the adoption of smart factories?

Desiccant Rotors International (DRI), one of the flagship companies of the Pahwa group, specialises in innovative air solutions for the healthcare sectors, commercial buildings, hospitality, airports etc. DRI provides products essentially for green buildings which are sustainable commercial buildings.

In its journey towards being a ”smart factory”, DRI adopted ERP more than 15 years ago. The sale to production and invoicing is seamlessly connected between our sales offices and the manufacturing plants. Recently we have also provided Tabs at shop floor where the production receives manufacturing drawings from the Engineering Department. Our products are engineered and customised to customer requirements and thus every production drawing is different. Our supply chain is also part of it and RFQs and PO are all integrated.

Ours is not a ”line production” and as such cannot be fully automated, having said that a very important element of our testing and R& D is ”mathematical modelling”.

What kind of steps do companies, including MSMEs, need to take for the adoption of smart factories?

A smart factory simply defined is a combination of physical production processes and operations integrated with digital technology, smart computing and Big Data to create a more opportunistic system for companies that focus on manufacturing and supply chain management. Basically, anything which allow you use technology to optimise your production.

We have seen companies rationalising their processes and adopting technology, whether automation or use of robotics, to ensure increased productivity.

While we have aggressively moved towards digitalisation of our processes in the last couple of years, many of our products are Industry 4.0 enabled with smart controls and traceability. Our new factory is also under certification as a ”Platinum Green Factory”.

How have Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, automation and Big Data been implemented by OEMs to move towards a Connected Enterprise?

AI has been at the frontrunner with mainly manufacturing companies who have a process driven or line production, for example automobiles, food, pharma. Industry 4.0 is further revolutionising the sectors as the need for traceability is high.

As mentioned earlier, we have started our journey towards digitalisation about a year ago. As a first step, we had processes audited by an external firm and then in a planned manner have been implementing through various software and tools.

What are the challenges faced by OEMs while transitioning towards smart factories?

Some of the challenges here include cost of implementing digital transformation, training of employees who are used to a certain way of working and will now have to be totally retrained to embrace the new smart approach in manufacturing.

Also, one must keep in mind what is required, instead of just following the pack. The necessary changes have to be implemented in a planned process.

What kind of technological advancements can we expect with respect to smart manufacturing in the coming years?

We will move towards more automation, simplified processes with IT as a backbone of every process. As mentioned earlier ”smart manufacturing” is a label which integrates various technology platforms ensuring processes are uniform and decisions are based on analysis of data. Certain repetitive functions can be handled by bots. We are adopting technology, tools and software to move forward with the sole aim of enhancing productivity and providing innovative energy smart solutions through our products to our customers.

• DRI from Pahwa Group is one of the fastest-growing adsorption technology groups in the world today, especially with the increasing focus on energy-smart and green technologies.
• Eco-Cool Evaporative Cooling Pads from DRI uses the simple principle of Evaporative cooling, the ideal and most economical method of cooling.
• By 2021 India can overcome the challenges that the virus has presented economically.

The manufacturing industry in India after almost 45 days of lockdown is resuming its production and business activities under restrictions, and following MHA guidelines. Gurugram based Desiccant Rotors International (DRI), a leading manufacturer in the country is also adapting newer work culture in challenging times. Founded by Deepak Pahwa in 1979 (formerly known as Arctic India Sales) is a global provider of components & systems for Energy Recovery, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Evaporative Cooling, Dehumidification & Green Buildings, and is part of Indian Manufacturing Conglomerate Pahwa Group.

In an exclusive interaction with Machine Maker, Varun Pahwa, President of Desiccant Rotors International a very optimistic industry leader towards the current challenges of COVID19, who believes that the future is bright for Indian Manufacturing as well as to his organization, we bring you the excerpts to our readers.

Lockdown & Manufacturing

”Delhi was strictly under lockdown tacking Coronavirus, and traveling was highly restricted. However, our manufacturing facilities are predominantly in the state of Haryana, where there was some relief from lockdown for companies who were into essential services. We got permission to start our manufacturing operations during mid of May 2020. Our units at Udyog Vihar and Manesar industrial area, in the state of Haryana, started operated not in full capacity but partially since we were into the pharmaceutical and hospital segment”, informed Mr. Pahwa.

Desiccant Rotors International (DRI) is a global provider for Evaporative Cooling Pads. Eco-Cool Evaporative Cooling Pads from DRI uses the simple principle of evaporative cooling i.e. passing fresh air through the wet surface to bring temperatures down. Evaporative Cooling with EcoCool Evaporative Cooling Pads is the ideal and most economical method of cooling.

Part of the Pahwa Group, a group of companies in the air conditioning industry, DRI provides products essentially for sustainable green commercial buildings with or without LEED or GRIHA certifications. ”Our product portfolio is respected for catering to environmentally friendly HVAC or environmentally friendly air conditioning. While we are headquartered proudly in India with customer base all over the world; we are manufacturing in India, developing products in India”, said Varun.

Indian Innovation & Technology for the World

DRI previously known as Arctic India Engineering is a homegrown Indian company that made its mark in the high technology areas and well respected all over the world. It’s a perfect example for Making in India, and #AtmanirbharBharat Abhiyan. ”Whenever one introduces an innovative product, something new as a technology, it first takes time for it to get established in the market. However, what we now find is that there is very good acceptability of environmentally friendly products and even in a country like India there is demand”, said Mr. Pahwa.

The innovations take time to get matured in order to be accepted by the Economies however they find that today most of the designers and Architects are demanding such products that are environmentally friendly and are adding value to Energy conservation, and this has become a usual practice in India. Desiccant Rotors International exports all over the world including Canada, the USA, Europe, and China- South East Asia, Japan as well. A proudly Indian manufacturing company DRI is highly acknowledged for its technology and with the clients.

Impact of COVID19, Lockdown & New Normal

”Of course, this virus is something which no one expected. No one was prepared for. This is something that caught pretty much the whole planet by surprise”, responded Varun Pahwa. He said that the situation had a huge economic impact which will take quite a while to overcome. He adds, ”On the other side what is given is nature, two weeks of breathing space again. A lot of human free space, where you can see how nature can repair itself even in a short span and bounce back.”

I think while there is a huge economic loss because of COVID19 situation, there is always something one can learn from it and have some take away for the future on how we have to survive in this with nature

Varun Pahwa

President, Desiccant Rotors International

Varun is very optimistic about the post COVID19 era where most of the companies will have a change in their ecosystems, not only in the short run but also in the long run. He added, ”there will be a shift in the global market from China to India and Vietnam, especially in the Fortune 500, they would be more interested in the manufacturing sector of India that will give a very big hit to the supply chain culture in China”.

”Post lockdown scenario working from home for the employees will be a new norm adapted by the companies”, shared Mr. Pahwa. ”In every adversity, we should look at the ways to handle the personnel, and I as a Company president is doing the same, also this was the time when we were strengthening our company both from the Front End as well as in the Back End.

”Obviously the lockdown period was not evident when we went to lockdown, it got extended and now we are getting back to normalcy with restrictions. I think we were able to utilize this time to our advantage to a lot of assignments, projects, etc. done, which in day to day routine would have taken much longer to complete”, said Varun. He added that this time would be rightly pointed towards research and development, process improvement, quality improvement, and also identifying inefficiencies in operations.

The lockdown time was used as an advantage by DRI, utilizing times for special projects, which normally take a lot of days to get completed. ”Dedicating more time into research during the lockdown period, some of our pending projects got accelerated, and completed within the last 3-4 weeks”, adds Varun. ”On a personal front, I have also accomplished many of my long pending tasks. One has had a chance to strategize and look forward to next year’s roadmap in an undistracted and clear view both from backend manufacturing and operations and front end sales and marketing activities”.

India & Global Business Conditions & Economy

After finishing his Engineering Degree from Bangalore University, Varun did his PostGraduate from The Boston University Graduate School of Management, US before joining the family business and got involved in manufacturing. Varun spoke about his beginning, ”Ours is essentially a mechanical product, however, evolution has taken place, and now we have electrical sensors and electronics onboard our mechanical product. So, our manufacturing is different from other sectors of the automobile where there is repetitive business.”

He adds, ”Lots of processes include our need to order customized so those manufacturing challenges are different. We have a lot of internally developed machines where a lot of our products are technology-intensive. The machinery for this is also developed in house. So, we are from the technology manufacturing point of view quite evolved and also, we believe in vertical integration. So, a lot of our manufacturing is all in house. We do not sub-contract. So this is control of technology and also quality”.

Varun said that we have to be flexible while working in a global market since every country has a different work culture whether it’sAmerica or Japan. ”Looking at various work cultures whether it is of America, Europe or India, I see them changing from the last three years. Being in India I see us as a part of the Global Economy and if we wish to be an export-driven nation then our work culture has to be built on our strength and in no way we can be lagging behind our approach”.

How you work with an American customer may be very different from how you work with a South Korean customer with respect to relationships and our product offering and manufacturing. ”If we have to be an export-driven nation both for the products and service, our work culture has to be built on our strength and in no way can be lacking behind in our approach. I have noticed that India is growing and simultaneously the work culture is also changing and adapting new techniques and strategies. So as the company we have been always global in our approach”, added Mr. Pahwa.

DRI, a truly Indian SME which has global efficiency is having an active customer base in over 40 countries; supplied products to 80 countries. For DRI global work culture is something that is appreciated with much respect, however, the Indian work culture of flexibility and adaptability also brings together certain strengths both in manufacturing and sales. The driving force behind Pahwa Group (L-R) Varun Pahwa, Deepak Pahwa, and Vivek Pahwa.

Growing ahead of COVID19

Coronavirus is of course a very big challenge for us to tackle, and the world economy will have to suffer a couple of years, before coming to normalcy. ”I think first of all my personal view is that we will definitely by the next year 2021 overcome the challenges that the virus has presented economically. People will start getting engrossed in their day to day work and all the economic activities will pick up speed”. Varun believes once the sectors which are essential and then the sectors which have spending like consumer luxury goods, malls the demand will start growing.

”For us luckily we have quite a good customer base in the pharmaceutical sector, food sector and healthcare, and hospital sectors. We do see that there will be a growing demand in these sectors in the coming months once the economy not only in India but globally gets better. So we are very optimistic and would like to adopt a very optimistic view”. Varun said that there will be a short term hit across the globe, but in the long term, all these sectors will be more positive for DRI. About the support from the Government in the Manufacturing Sector, Varun replied that there will be many companies that are going to run out of cash may be in the upcoming months and the Government must plan some hand holdings to these companies so that their businesses don’t fail.

India would be a key alternate to China for manufacturing and that would also present more opportunities for India. The manufacturing sector in India is on a turn when it comes to using resources to manufacture products, it is manifest that they are using the environment-friendly tools that are a very Positive Sign for the Indian Economy.

Introducing Dehumidification & Pahwa’s Incredible Journey of 4 Decades

In 1979 the Arctic India Sales was set up by Deepak Pahwa, father of Varun Pahwa. Deepak Pahwa is the Chairman, Pahwa Group, and Managing Director of Bry-Air (Asia). The Pahwa Group, where innovation is life, is the fastest-growing Adsorption Technology Group in the world. Under his leadership, the group has filed 123 patent applications for 13 new technologies, at the national and international level, 46 patents granted/ already allowed. In 1979, he set up the first company in the group, Arctic India Sales, introducing dehumidification in India. Subsequently, he set-up Bry-Air (Asia), Desiccant Rotors International, Delair India and Technical Drying services.

The man behind the success of the Pahwa Group, Deepak Pahwa is an alumnus of IIT-BHU, has been honored with several awards, including the “Leadership Award 2013” by IACC, “National Award 2011 in Research & Development” in (Medium Enterprise) by MSME, “IIT-BHU Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award 2009-10”, and also the “Entrepreneur Of The Year Award” in 1987 in the SME entrepreneur category.

The core strength of all the group companies is concentrated on desiccant and desiccant-based technologies. Operating within a broad framework of ‘environment and energy’, the group companies are involved in manufacturing products to various industries like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, manufacturing, machinery, plastics, etc. which makes them the industry leaders. Companies like Pahwa Group are one of the fastest-growing adsorption technology groups in the world today, especially with the increasing focus on energy-smart and green technologies.

Air Cleaner for the Future Generations

DRI – Pahwa Group, has been a leader in offering advanced environmental control solutions to a wide array of companies. The core strength of all the group companies is concentrated on desiccant and desiccant-based technologies. Operating within a broad framework of ‘environment and energy’, the group companies are involved in manufacturing products to various industries like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, manufacturing, machinery, plastics, etc. which makes them the industry leaders.

Gurgaon based Pahwa Group has been working on education, skill development, health & hygiene, and sports for enriching the lives of underprivileged and differently-abled, as part of its CSR programme. DRI is running many skill development programs for underprivileged women/ youth as a part of its CSR Initiatives. The objective of these projects is to develop self- employment skills to underprivileged Youths/Girls/Women so that they can be gainfully self employed. In an Interview with Apresh Mishra, Anandita Pahwa, Head CSR Initiatives, Pahwa Group said the company has been serving communities long before CSR became a mandatory affair. Excerpts of the interview:

Tell us about your CSR initiatives?

CSR has been part of our DNA. Dr. Mathra Das Pahwa grandfather of our chairman Mr Deepak Pahwa, was a philanthropist and an eminent eye surgeon. He was known for his charitable work for the underprivileged in the field of vision, more so, for cataract surgery, free of cost.

DRI and Bry -Air have undertaken Dr Mathra Das Pahwa Vision Outreach Program and has been carrying the mission forward through the ”Dr. Mathra Das Pahwa – Vision Outreach Program”. This is the flagship program of CSR which provides Free Eye Check Up, Free Medicine, Free Spectacles and Free Cataract Surgeries to underprivileged people in rural areas. It was started in February 2011. The eye camps are conducted in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. So far 99 Camps have been organized and 100th campus is coming up on 15th March in Moga, Punjab.

DRI has organized 98th Eye Camp at Govt High School, Manpur village, Palwal under ”Dr Mathra Das Pahwa Outreach Program”. More than 300 people from Manpur, Seoli, Bahin, Nagla Jat, Pahari and Kondal village attended the eye camp. In camp free medicine and free spectacles were distributed. Cataract patients went to Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital, Gurugram for cataract surgeries.

We also have DRI Udaan Skill Development Center for Beautician and Tailoring course which is running in partnership with ‘Humana People to People India since 2015 at Chakkarpur and Bhawani Enclave Centers in Gurugram. In the 14th Batch of Beautician and Tailoring course 97 Girls/Women Bhawani Enclave and Chakkarpur Centers has been awarded with the certificates.

Your intervention in Education?

We have many ongoing progammes on Education and Skill Development. We launched Scholarship program on merit basis in the schools of Moga village, Punjab. Learning centers for women has been setup in Moga, where they are provided with vocational training for stitching.

Further, we tied up with an NGO called ‘Literacy India’, and are running two schools with them namely Bry-Air Pathshala (Dharam Colony, Gurugram) and DRI Pathshala (Caterpuri, Gurugram) and . These schools provide non- formal education to kids of primary age. The kids are from underprivileged section (never went to school, parents are construction workers).Once the kids reach a certain level to education, they are transferred to regular schools.

In the afternoon remedial classes are organized for students who go to regular schools but require assistance to do well in the school. These schools also have computer labs, digital learning tools called ‘Gyan tantra digital dost’ where they learn from.

DRI has celebrated this past Diwali with underprivileged children at DRI Pathshala. The theme was plastic free Diwali. Approximately 60 students had participated in this activity. Activities such as Rangoli making, Poster Making, and Slogan writing was organized for the students.

We also have 4 vocational training centers in Gurugram and one in Moga with courses- Electricians (for men), stitching and beautician (for women).

You water initiative?

We have set up community water centers(CWCs) in villages. Five such centers with RO water plants with chilling systems(providing drinking water) are already setup.

Our aim through these projects is to provide clean and safe drinking water and in the process improve the health of the inhabitants of the surrounding areas. Idea is for it to be sustainable and promoting hygiene habits related to drinking clean water. Training is provided to the villagers on how to run these centers. These CWCs are benefiting more than 1500 people in four villages in Gurugram and one village in Alwar district. Bry-Air has partnered with MA, My Anchor Foundation to implement the project.

All households in the village get a monthly water card of Rs 10 valid for a month. The money goes for the salary of the person (from the village) who is managing the center.

Bry-Air is also promoting hygiene and sanitation by constructing individual toilets. Till date we have constructed about 60 toilets in Kaduki village, Alwar district. This project is implemented by Sapna NGO.

Would you prefer CSR as a mandate or as voluntary activity?

I don’t think it is a matter of preference, I think people who are wanting to do something good for the society (like us) were doing it before it became a mandate. A lot of companies were already working in CSR even before it was mandatory.

After it became a mandate, it has led to many more people contributing to CSR work.Tdentified areas, as well as funding NGOs.All in all, more funds are available and more work is being done People are conscious that CSR spends focus on well researched projects. We need good work to happen. If you are in this space you know what we are saying is not even a drop in the ocean with the amount that needs to be done in villages, in so many different fields. If a company does things in a proper manner then a lot of good work can be done and is being done.If acompany is just signing a cheque and giving it in NGO or something like, where there are no checks and balances, then the funds may be wasted and not utilized in its maximum potential.

Increasing waste in landfills, on the streets and none in recycling plants: this is how India manages its waste during a pandemic.

”Recycling is not recognized as an essential service [in India],” said Archit Jhingon of Trendene India. The low prioritization of recycling as a waste management strategy in India has knocked the imports of scrap metals off the essentials list during this pandemic.

With a global halt in shipping and freight transportation, recycling firms in India which rely on imported materials to operate are facing a shortage in revenue. According to Jhingon, this heavy reliance on imports is ”ultimately because of poverty.”

The low production of scrap metal waste can be attributed to few end-of-life regulations for vehicles which have its roots in low consumption.

The reduction in demand has also disturbed the fiscal equilibrium in waste management, leading to a severely reduced selling price, which has driven buying prices up.

Combined with the rise in disposable waste and disposable goods consumption, particularly medical waste, this has resulted in overburdened landfills and ”a complete halt” of reuse and recycling.

According to Jhingon, most of the recycling industry in India employs manual labor. In addition to sealed state borders, the nearly 25% drop in demand has forced this workforce to return to their homes. As a result, livelihoods have been uprooted, especially for contractual workers.

Therefore, a loss in staffing, lockdown-induced closure of factories and recycling plants, a loss of global demand and the worldwide shutdown of non-essential shipping has put a roadblock in India’s shift to a circular economy.

But this is only applicable to solid, tangible waste. The situation is quite different for Desiccant Rotors International’s (DRI) environmentally sound air control facilities.

According to HuffPost, there is evidence that volatile organic compounds can cause allergies and breathing difficulties over extended periods of time. Stagnant air inside a room can thus increase the likelihood of contracting viruses in general, not only COVID-19.

There is a need to ”dilute the indoor pollution,”said Varun Pahwa, President of DRI. His company works to provide ”fresh air in a highly energy efficient manner.”

But waste in the form of gaseous pollutants is not limited only to air conditioners. Vehicular emissions also play a significant role in air pollution, and the nationwide lockdown in India has seen a drastic reduction in pollution levels. According to NASA, these levels are at a 20-year low.

According to Akshay Kashyap, founder of GreenFuel Energy Solutions, the cleaner air will catalyze the shift towards a green transport sector. ”Cheaper mobility” will form the basis of this, in the form of low-speed electrified 2-wheelers.

This change will be driven by ”those buyers who have already shifted their mindset towards electric vehicles,”Kashyap said.

The pandemic has incentivized changes in energy everywhere, and has made evident the need for nations to become independent and step away from ”very strong globalization,” he said.

He added that governmental policy to regulate vehicular waste is a ”carrot and stick” situation, wherein a mandate to make delivery fleets 50% electrified will form the ”stick” of policy, whereas the long term cost efficiency of clean transport will make the ”carrot.” For delivery companies and all those who choose to switch to electric vehicles or clean transport, the ”more they run, more they’ll save.”

Not only is there fiscal incentive but the switch to green vehicles might reduce the likelihood of contracting COVID-19, based on the World Economic Forum’s report indicating a correlation between air pollution and deaths caused by the virus.

Kashyap underscored that the methods required to effectively managing the increasing waste are present, but the need of the hour is a ”well to wheel” approach to waste management, wherein there is zero waste from the extraction to the generation and supply of energy and its sources.

For this purpose, there needs to be a holistic approach to handling and processing waste. Alas, ”we have too many stakeholders thinking in isolation…nobody wants to grab the bull by the horns,”thus letting go of an opportunity not only to have a clean economy but also a healthier environment for all Indians.

Pahwa said the air conditioning industry is ”quite mature,” in that companies tend to follow environmental regulations set down by the Central government and remain in sync with international environmental covenants India is a signatory to.

But Kashyap said ”cleanness has to be followed to clear policy to the last leg – you can’t have policy in isolation.”

Managing waste is a complex issue, even though the methodology appears simple. The pandemic has shown nations that self-sufficiency in energy generation is something to keep at the forefront going forward from here. At the same time, this self-reliance will also cause”changes in geopolitical relations,” according to Kashyap.

Finally, the recycling sector plays a major role in the reduction of vehicular waste, wherein an end-of-life policy by Central mandate will bolster the energy sector, recycling and the automotive industry. This will result in fiscal growth for all and a clean environment.

A redressing of the waste management in India to promote organic waste-to-energy would be ”a real good use of resources,”Kashyap said.

According to you, what would be the changes that can take place post this pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the whole world like a tornado. It is going to be a long battle, the world is changing, and all of us have to get out of our comfort zones. We have to learn to work under stressed conditions and be innovative and aggressive, using this time to plan and be ready to execute from Day 1. As each day unfolds, we have to be ready to deal with almost continuously changing scenarios.

We are sure the government is also working on various parameters to have a more in-depth policy. We are just hoping that things ease out soon and we can resume our operations. We have a lot to catch up on; the whole country has lost this time and we may possibly lose more time as the country tries its best to combat this virus. We have to be pragmatic with our plans and be prepared to hit the ground running.

DRI products and how can they help in the fight against COVID-19?

DRI provides advanced environmental control solutions. DRI has always been at the forefront of desiccant based technologies for energy recovery, IAQ, fresh air treatment, evaporative cooling, humidification, RH control and clean air to provide innovative air solutions. One of our product portfolios caters to the hospitals and we often do special air handling units that are required in hospitals. We are getting many requests to produce special air handling units for various temporary hospitals that are coming up in different parts of the world; however, due to the lockdown, we are unable to support our customers. Even ready goods can’t be shipped.

We also produce Desiccant rotors which are the heart of dehumidification systems. Dehumidification equipment is a necessity for producing medicine. These are all part of the supply chain of essential products.

As a leader in the organization, what role are you playing for keeping employees positive and hopeful?

It is important to foster a culture of openness and trust within an organization. We have always worked to ensure that our employees feel they are able to reach out for help as and when needed. It is also equally important to promote open dialogue within the organization and encourage a culture of trust and support. In this time of lockdown, we are ensuring everyone is paid on time so that our employees do not have to worry about this. The need of the hour is to keep the morale high of our workforce. The Leadership team as well as the HODs are leading from the front and are in touch with employees ensuring each employee is gainfully occupied with work. A lot of training is being organized. Fortunately, all our employees are positive in their attitude and striving to be fully productive in these times.

Environment-friendly solutions are integral for sustainability, how are you contributing to this?

DRI provides innovative air solutions for Indoor Air Quality and environmental control services. Centralized systems introduce fresh air and throw out stale exhaust air, therefore the chances of bacteria and other germs spreading or multiplying are greatly reduced. DRI’s green products help to optimize the energy performance of the air conditioning systems. This result is a reduction of installed tonnage, reduction in utility bills for the product’s entire lifecycle, enhanced IAQ and productivity and reduced health risks.

What are the effects of the worldwide pandemic on exports and imports?

COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis. The virus has shaken the global economy, disrupting almost every industry and sector. In India, one of the hardest-hit segments is the manufacturing sector, and the MSMEs are likely to be worst-hit during this period. This is a situation that not only India is facing, but the whole world.

The Indian supply chain has also suffered due to the logjam during the lockdown as suppliers to the manufacturers of the essential goods are under lockdown and the linkage between them to essential goods is not understood. Therefore it is a chain reaction. Both the domestic and export sector is stymied. There are finished goods which cannot be supplied due to want of transportation as well the buyer’s inability to take delivery. With the supply chains being affected, production, whenever, it starts is bound to be impacted severely.

We should draw encouragement from the restarting of Wuhan economy and work towards restoring a semblance of normalcy as soon as possible while taking the correct precautions.

Do you think loving what you do is crucial? How much do you love doing your role?

Passion is an integral part of a job. If you enjoy what you do, you will be motivated to do it better. Especially in uncertain times like this, it is important to keep spirits up. It is important to be passionate about one’s job. It fuels one’s energy and hones the focus. However, only passion does not drive success, there are many elements necessary to be successful. I have been very closely associated with business from a young age being the founder’s son. I have learned the ropes being hands-on in every aspect. I enjoy what I do with many other things, learning every day. In our business, we have been pioneers by introducing many technologies. As an organization innovation is in our DNA. In these times the mind and all efforts are focused to come out of this quagmire effectively. We look at everything as what next.

Can you walk us through your company’s profile?

Pahwa Group is comprised of four companies that are the pillars, Bry-Air, DRI, TDS, Delair and Bry-Air Prokon. These companies mainly deal with the industrial air treatment solutions and commercial building air conditioning products. Our products are predominantly manufactured in India, but we do have a great presence in the international market also. We offer industrial product solutions targeting humidity control for the pharmaceutical and food industries, but the applications are not restricted to these industries. We also offer applications like electronics leather, packaging, cold stores among the other range of applications complying with the dehumidification capabilities or reducing the humidity. We also provide gas filtration system for gases like SO2, SO3, NoX, that can create corrosion related issues in data centers and control rooms where we do air cleaning.

We also have a division where we do plastic auxiliary equipment; which is to dry the plastic pellets which are used for extrusion, blow molding. Also, we have a company which does compressed air drying systems, called Delair. On the commercial side, at DRI where we provide indoor air quality solutions for commercial buildings like hotels, hospitals, malls, airports, office premises with entire focus on providing healthy environment for the occupants. We also do shop floor of factory cooling systems. In India, industries emphasis more on providing work floor comfort at the shop floor level and this consciousness is trending across the industry, and we provide the same in an economical way.

We have a strong hold in India with active presence in seven cities. However, almost half of our businesses are based outside India and we are proud of the fact that we are India exporters for the world right from South Korea to South America. We aim to be best in the world, especially in terms of product quality, performance, and innovation; so, we invest more in R&D. We have eight state-of-the-art test labs in Gurgaon, and in our field that we are really investing a lot in innovative materials, concepts testing laboratories to test and verify the product innovation.

What are the products you showcased at ACREX 2020?

ACREX 2020 was mainly focused on air conditioning. The Indian Air Conditioning market is growing, particularly more on the residential side. However, we see a traction in the commercial segment also especially in office buildings, commercial complexes, institutional buildings, hospitals, airports, malls; where requirement of centralized HVAC system is high. Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning systems is drastically increasing in India, because of which we witness a downfall in certain products in this segment, but overall, the India remains intact.

We launched new products at ACREX, complying with industrial demands. We are trying to invent innovative products for evaporative cooling systems, especially indirect evaporative cooling systems in which we can use power of water and evaporation. We have special dedicated outdoor air systems that are highly energy efficient for commercial buildings. We are also doing a lot, for school children’s health, offices, residences, we also have central air purification systems that goes a long way in maintaining the IAQ. We also have a lot of focus on energy recovery and energy efficient systems, green buildings, especially certified buildings, humidity control systems or the air that focuses on energy, reducing energy consumption. We also do absorption chiller, which is something new in Indian and in the Asian market as it uses waste heat to produce chilled water which goes a long way to make any process plant or a building highly energy efficient.

How are smart technologies equipping the HVAC&R market?

All our traditional and mechanical equipment are becoming smarter with controls sensors, electrical panels on board; moreover, they can communicate with a building management system. You can increase the efficiency of your products by using these controls and sensors; it also helps you in conducting predictive maintenance in the HVAC unit and you can avoid any downtime of shutdowns.

How can HVAC systems contribute in reducing environmental impacts?

There was a general perception that air-conditioning is expensive to install and operate. However, evaporative air-cooling systems, especially for shop-floor cooling and providing comfort conditions to production workers can now be availed in India at economical cost. So large scale economic cooling on factory shop floors could be less than 1/10th the cost of installation and running of a traditional air conditioning system.

There are initial signs of recovery in the Indian market. However, its key is optimism. However, we expect an uptake in the last quarter of 2020. With the credit availability and increase in the utilisation capacity we look forward for a positive outlook in the coming years.

Ahmedabad, 29th January 2020:- Delivering the keynote address at the 13th Confluence International Conference on Indoor Air Quality, Deepak Pahwa, Chairman Pahwa Group, shared with the attendees that the increased challenges maintaining IAQ ( Indoor Air Quality) in conditioned spaces with the increased outdoor air pollution. He expressed that today modern climate controlled interiors-offices, homes, malls, hospitals as well as bus stations, airports-was a given , where people spend more than 80 percent of their time.

In his keynote, Mr Pahwa traced the journey introduction of IAQ as a concept in India from the time the concept was introduced to the Indian HVAR&R industry by DRI, a Pahwa group company way back in 1991.

Enclosed conditioned spaces such as office complexes, malls, hotels, restaurants, auditoriums, heaters and various other buildings are dealing with not only contaminants/pollutants generated indors but also has to ensure outdoor pollution like like PM 2.5, PM10, VOCs as well other gaseous contaminants is not brought inside conditioned spaces through conditioning systems.

‘Now, more than ever, the need to monitor and improve indoor air quality is crucial,’ Pahwa said. ‘It’s also become easier given the focus on reducing outdoor air pollution as well as the emergence of cutting edge technologies to manage air quality indoors’.

According to Mr Pahwa, the growing awareness of air pollution and its deleterious impact on human health also focused attention on the need for monitoring and handling indoor air quality. With outdoor air as input, indoor air handling systems design needed to do more than merely cooling to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Often known by its acronym, HVAC is goes beyond providing thermal comfort to ensuring acceptable indoor air quality.

Elaborating on the latest technology in HVAC systems, Pahwa said they use desiccant technology that uses hygroscopic substances that suck moisture from the air and cool indoor spaces. One of the major benefits of the technology is the reduction in tonnage required for a given space with associated reduction in the use of energy and utility costs.

As such, it fits the bill as ‘a sustainable green technology that incorporates a concern of climate change, a crucial new awareness that seeks to limit the emission of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, that are responsible for the phenomenon known as global warming,’ he added.

He lauded ‘the welcome tendency’ to deploy renewable energy solutions to the problem of poor indoor air quality. ‘Renewables’ provide a way to manage the costs of increasingly expensive and finite sources of fossil fuels. With growing awareness of the long term conundrums in the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels, urban planners have begun to look at options such as solar energy, natural building materials, and ecologically effective heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Referring to Pahwa Group’s experience with the deployment of HVAC systems globally, Mr Pahwa spoke of the company’s experience with the Beijing Olympics, where its flagship company, Dessicant Rotors International, installed air quality control systems at various sites including the Beijing Airport.

‘Working to very clear and stringent specifications, our indoor air handling systems helped save about 80 percent of the energy that is lost with outgoing air and facilitated an increase in the quantity of fresh air,’ Pahwa elaborated.

Mr Pahwa was honored at the conference for his pioneering work and tremendous contribution to the Indian HVAC and R Industry.

About Pahwa Group:

‘With Desiccant at its core, in relation to air’, the Pahwa Group is a group of knowledge based and technology driven companies offering advanced environmental control solutions to a wide array of companies. The Group is headed by Mr. Deepak Pahwa as the Group Chairman and employs a strong team of over 1400+ persons in 6 continents and has 10 manufacturing units. The core strength of all the group companies is concentrated in desiccant and desiccant-based technologies. Operating within a broad framework of ‘environment and energy’, the group companies are involved in manufacturing products like dehumidifiers, resin dryers, product dryers, gas phase filtration systems, energy recovery and fresh air treatment systems. Desiccant Rotors International (DRI) is a global provider of components, products and systems for Energy Recovery, Indoor Air Quality, Fresh Air Treatment, and Green Buildings. Desiccant Rotors International, Inc. (DRI Inc.) markets and sells energy recovery wheels and desiccant dehumidification rotors and cassettes in North America. The current installation base of DRI wheels in North America runs in the thousands. Our parent company, DRI, is the largest global provider of enthalpy wheels for air-to-air energy recovery. The DRI worldwide group has a global sales network extending to Brazil, China, Malaysia, Europe, South Africa, Philippines, Australia, Korea and India. DRI has a fully integrated ISO certified manufacturing facility with in-house coating, synthesizing, winding, metal working and surface finishing and world class test facilities for performance evaluation of enthalpy wheels and desiccant dehumidification wheels.