Millions continue to starve in India and according to industry estimates, the country currently wastes 35-40% of agricultural produce. A robust farm-to-fork cold chain infrastructure can help bring this wastage down to about 5%. Ingersoll Rand's new refrigerated transportation solution addresses a critical part of this problem by avoiding large scale wastage of perishable farm produce.

    The refrigerated vans used in the west are normally huge, and cannot negotiate the narrow lanes and by-lanes of Indian villages. Re-engineered and localized specifically for a hot country like India, the Thermo King (an Ingersoll Rand brand) B100 unit fitted in with a container can be modeled on small reefer trucks to negotiate narrow lanes for "first and last mile" delivery of temperature controlled and refrigerated products. This innovation ensures that there is no wastage of perishable food items such as fruits and vegetables.

    The B100 with its battery operated unit is an ideal innovation for India where small trucks typically run on low horse power engines and do not have the capacity to run a compressor directly. The B100 unit works with the DC (direct current) power supply from the alternator that is driven from the vehicle's engine and does not need a separate fuel engine. The B100 refrigeration unit is easy to install, runs on electric power and has a constant cooling capacity independent of engine RPM. It is a unique technology and a great fuel saver. This is the first solution of its kind in the country.

    Schlage (an Ingersoll Rand brand) LiNK is one of the first wireless-controlled door locks that allows remote control and monitoring of homes 24/7. The door lock connects to other home control devices using Z-Wave wireless technology and allows for remote access through the secure Schlage Bridge. Using any internet-enabled computer and most internet-enabled mobile phones, the status of the locks can be checked and access granted via the Schlage LiNK online portal or mobile phone application. The lock delivers keyless access via 4-digit user codes that can be activated, deleted or disabled on the lock's keypad, or remotely through any of the available control methods. Text or email alerts can be received when specific codes are entered, and a 90-day record of activity is recorded on the online portal.

    India Engineering Centers played an active role in the development of Schlage LiNK. Some of the features of Schlage LiNK system include:

• Get instant alerts when someone arrives home
• Remotely unlock doors using the online or mobile application - for unexpected guests
• Connectivity with home air-conditioning unit - change temperature on the way home to a comfortable level, adjust thermostat from work to save energy while away during the day
• Integration with wireless camera
• Ability to control other electrical appliances like lights, window blinds etc.