Journal: A.T.E. has been a service provider in textiles for over 75 years. What inspired you to enter the HVAC sector?
Anuj Bhagwati: Yes, textile engineering has been our foundation. In the 1990s, when I joined the company, I was sure that sustainability was going to become a critical issue for India in the near future. I was concerned that our country stands to lose much from climate change. To this end, A.T.E. began to develop sustainable products and solutions in cooling, wastewater treatment and energy efficiency. Cooling with conventional methods such as chillers and air conditioners can be very energy-intensive. HMX’s products are designed to be more energy efficient, using only 40-60% of the energy consumed by air conditioning systems, while providing 100% fresh air.

J: Can you explain how A.T.E.-HMX has evolved to occupy a prominent position in Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC)?
AB: HMX has pioneered the application of IEC – a technology with tremendous potential. At the core of every HMX product is the DAMA (Dry Air Moist Air) – a cross-flow plate type sensible heat exchanger for IEC – that cools the air without the addition of any moisture. Our DAMA-based products are designed to be an upgrade from air washers, and an energy-efficient alternative to air conditioners. Our DAMA has received US and Australian patents and is widely accepted in sectors as varied as automobile, engineering, print and packaging, food and beverages, FMCG, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and more. Continuous improvement through in-house R&D, growing customer references, system engineering and top-notch execution capabilities, have all contributed. One example of this is the newly launched HMX IDECool,
which is designed to cater to the cooling needs of small and medium establishments and works on two stage evaporative cooling technology.

J: What are your growth plans in terms of new markets and applications in the domestic sector?
AB: We have strengthened our presence in industries such as automobile, auto-ancillaries, engineering, print and packaging, pharmaceuticals, retail, and more. For IEC solutions, one of the markets we are looking at is residential and small commercial establishments. The energy efficient HMX IDECool will be targeted at these segments,
positioned as an upgrade over conventional air coolers.

J: We understand that you are now ready to go global. Could you share your plans?
AB: We have already made some headway in the international market. We have put in place a team that is dedicated to international business and have multiple installations in countries such as the UAE, Egypt and Thailand. We are quite active in the Middle East. Our manufacturing standards are at par with global standards, which is helping us secure orders overseas. We have the capabilities to supply and install worldwide.