IoT provides end-to-end visibility within cold chain ecosystem

Carrier Transicold is well positioned to understand the market needs and meet its requirements with technologically superior refrigeration products.

Pankaj Mehta, Managing Director, Carrier Transicold India, in an interaction with Thermal Control Business Update, shared his perspective about the cold chain ecosystem. He remarked, it is constantly evolving and has steadily grown as a result of Government and private sector initiatives in India; increased regulatory compliance and cold chain awareness.

Perception about cold chain industry growth 

Increase in the organized retail sector, online grocery stores, quick service restaurant chains and changing consumer behavior is expected to fuel cold chain growth in the country. Cold chain acceptance has also cascaded to tier-two and tierthree towns and cities which will further bolster growth.

The Indian cold chain is still at a nascent stage. Investment in the cold chain remains one of the most effective ways to ensure the reliable and safe movement of food and pharmaceutical products during a pandemic, and in adapting to a post-pandemic world. India is the world leading producer of several agri-products, but also has high wastage. The cold chain can play a pivotal role in establishing food security in India and around the world, while opening a plethora of opportunities to farmers and various stakeholders in the agriculture value chain.

Carrier operates at the nexus of climate, digital and environmental technology, and sustainability – and we will be at the forefront of defining the next era of the healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent cold chain. Carrier Transicold India is a part of the CII Task Force on Cold Chain Development as well as a life member of the National Center for Cold Chain Development and continues to undertake initiatives to establish a robust cold chain in India.

Carrier Transicold also supports cold chain growth through industry collaboration, education and training and is part of the steering committee of the National Cold Chain Logistics Resource Center which aims to improve development of all cold chain aspects. We welcome and support the initiatives taken by the government, to help in proliferation of the cold chain growth in India.

 

Industry growth for temperature control during transit in the supply chain

The key to success in the cold  chain business in India is the creation of technology-based, tailor-made solutions that address the unique challenges that exist across the cold chain. The concept of “one size fits all” does not work in the Indian landscape, which means innovation and reliability are essential for meeting the diverse demands of the cold chain in this environment.

With over 25 plus years presence in India, Carrier Transicold is well positioned to understand the market needs and meet its requirement with technologically superior refrigeration products.

Carrier Transicold over the past few years has launched several India specific products / solutions in the Indian segment. To cater to the demand of higher capacity and airflow on larger container sizes, Carrier Transicold launched the high capacity SupraTM diesel drive range.

Interstate movement or large volume cold chain transportation is done using the Carrier Supra™ and Oasis™ transport refrigeration units fitted on large size containers. The Supra and Oasis offered for large trucks have their own engines and can run independently of a truck engine. These products are designed to provide strong, reliable performance in hot, dusty ambient conditions and offer superior pull down and cooling efficiency.

For last mile distribution using refrigerated small vans, Carrier Transicold introduced several models of the Citimax series and Citifresh system for chilled and frozen applications, which operate using the van engine, much like a car air conditioning system. 

All Carrier Transicold products come with the security and peace of-mind of an extensive aftermarket service network. A highly skilled team of certified technicians, regularly trained in the installation, maintenance and repair of Carrier Transicold refrigeration products, are ready to support customer fleets across a pan-India network of more than 65 service centres.

Carrier Transicold’s service network is strategically positioned on major National highways and specific transit locations to ensure minimal downtime and faster turnarounds.

With critical products continually on the move, Carrier transicold dealers offer support to keep the trucks running on the road.

 

Truck refrigeration solutions for agriculture and pharma segment

Two main sectors where the cold chain can play a pivotal role are pharmaceuticals and agriculture. The pharmaceuticals industry has been one of the fastest adapters of the cold chain in recent years. While much focus is given to research and development of vaccines, equal emphasis should be given to maintaining their efficacy under precise cold chain conditions until vaccine administration. Carrier Transicold products have played an important role to ensure critical vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs reach their location in the most effective condition.

Our truck refrigeration solutions have aided interstate and local vaccine distribution across India. Carrier Transicold refrigeration solutions have contributed to a seamless cold chain, from vaccine production centers to distribution points in Tier II and Tier III cities and towns. We have been supporting pharmaceutical logistics companies around the clock to establish formidable cold chains.

An efficient post-harvest management and agri-logistics system including aggregation, pre-conditioning, pre-cooling and refrigerated transportation not only helps reduce food loss but also aids in expanding the reach to distant markets.

The Citifresh system was introduced to meet the growing demand in India for transportation of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and confectionary products using longer refrigerated trucks. These units are also gaining popularity in the fisheries segment. The Citifresh unit’s streamline design has very few serviceable parts which, helps to reduce repair and maintenance, resulting in low overall operating cost.

To clear the perception that the cold chain is complicated and too expensive for small-holder farms, we conducted a demonstration on the impact of the cold chain on the Kinnow fruit from Punjab. The study demonstrated that investment in refrigeration pre-cooling equipment and refrigerated trucks can reduce food loss by 76 percent while increasing profit margins up to 23 percent. As a result, the Kinnow selling season was extended by one month, the selling region was expanded 2,500 km, from Punjab to Bangalore, and CO2 equivalent emissions from wasted food were reduced by 16 percent.

From a base of zero, the number of pre-cooling units now in use has increased to 10, and there are 400 refrigerated truck trips being made between Abohar and Bangalore during the harvest season. With an expanded window of availability, growers began exporting kinnow for the first time, reaching 10 countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The grower’s payback on cold chain equipment ranged from two to four years. This successful pilot demonstrates how a targeted investment in a single product and trade lane can rapidly heal a broken food model.

The cold chain will play a pivotal role in establishing food security in India, opening a plethora of opportunities to farmers and various stakeholders in the agriculture value chain.