The Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Trades Association (RATA) has a large number of channel partners and other stakeholders as its members. RATA has launched an initiative to create an awareness of VRF technology among channel partners, train their workforce for fi eld operations and help build their infrastructure to support the VRF business through events called ‘VRF Melas’. These events are supported by International Copper Association (India). RATA has conducted VRF Melas in Mumbai, Surat, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad, where they were attended by almost 1000 participants. RATA is planning to replicate them in other tier 1 and 2 cities like Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Goa, Indore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Kochi, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Nagpur, Nashik, Thane, Guwahati and Madurai. Through these events, dealers are explained the opportunities available in the VRF market, their queries pertaining to the business are answered, quality standards that need to be maintained in the business are explained, and they are connected to VRF majors to help grow their business in an organised manner. This initiative of RATA supplements the eff orts of VRF majors to bridge the skill gap that exists in this segment owing to its rapid growth.