Infineon, Invest India Conclude Solar Pump Motor Drive Design Challenge
Infineon Technologies has finally concluded ‘Infineon Solar Pump Motor Drive Design Challenge 2021′ initiative with the announcement of three top submissions for working designs in motor drive solutions for solar pumps.
Organized in collaboration with Invest India; and in partnership with Avnet India, the challenge sought a viable solution for solar pump motor drives to enable local manufacturers in India to reduce overall dependency on imports, and support the domestic solar pump ecosystem.
“Solar pump manufacturers rely on overseas suppliers for drives, hampering build-up of local competence and ecosystem. To reverse the effects, it is integral to build energy-efficient and cost-effective motor drive solutions for pumps locally,” said Vivek Mahajan, Vice President & Division Head for Industrial Power Control, Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific. “This initiative is aimed at bridging the gap between the real and the digital world, by bringing together techies and the business experts on the same platform and build a viable, marketable solution which will support the Indian Solar Pump industry.”
Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India said “This challenge comes at an opportune time, as India is working at unprecedented speed to accomplish the SDGs, especially in renewable energy & sustainable development. Through Startup India, we are committed to fostering a culture of innovation aimed at creating lasting socio-economic impact.”
“Avnet has been working closely with local companies to drive solar power solutions that support India in achieving its renewable energy target of 450 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. We are excited to be part of this meaningful partnership, supporting local innovators to develop solutions that provide cleaner, more sustainable and affordable energy in India,” said Kamath Suresh, Managing Director, Avnet India.
Infineon launched the Solar Pump Motor Drive Design Challenge 2021 in January 2021. The initiative was started in collaboration with Invest India and Avnet India, and several preliminary rounds later, Infineon selected ten finalists from over 300 start-up applications. Young entrepreneurs from across the country submitted their solutions to a jury whose members included technology experts from Infineon.
Konmos Technology Pvt Ltd won the challenge, Sunmint Energy Pvt Ltd secured the first runner-up spot, and Ether Energy Pvt Ltd secured the second runner-up spot. The winning teams were awarded electronics gadgets worth a total of up to ₹8 lakh.
Alongside, the winning team was also offered an opportunity to further build on their solution as part of a pilot project with the challenge industry partners, Amber Enterprises & Virtual Forest, with funding of up to ₹5 lakh.
