C. Subramaniam
National Steering Committee Chair - REFCOLD India 2019

Continuing on its journey in the field of refrigeration and cold chain, ISHRAE is extremely happy and proud to bring the second edition of REFCOLD India 2019 to the great city of Hyderabad, capital of the glorious state of Telangana. India’s resources in the areas of horticulture, fisheries, dairy, pharmaceutical and other refrigeration related segments are extremely high. India ranks amongst the top ten producing countries in these segments. Unfortunately, due to the lack of infrastructure, direction, policies and many other factors, we are not in a position to convert these golden resources into a higher GDP. The refrigeration and cold chain industry is in a slumber and a fragmented mode, so to say. What is needed is a wake-up call to all the stakeholders connected with this industry that will bring them onto a common platform to exchange constructive ideas and action plans to propel this industry into an economic wave of national importance.

With this is as the backdrop, REFCOLD India made its entry in 2018 at Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and received a heart-warming welcome from not only the industry but also various Government institutions connected with this segment. This motivated ISHRAE to continue with greater focus and vigour, and the result is the second edition of REFCOLD India in the next year itself. You will be enthralled to witness the grand event that will bring the entire industry to Hyderabad during November 21-23.

REFCOLD India 2019 will have a lot of concurrent events: the main exhibition that will have domestic as well as international exhibitors, the Awards Night that will recognize the best products and projects in the field of refrigeration and cold chain, Entrepreneurs’ Conclave, Business Summit, Global Student Poster Design Competition, Innovation Hub, BizQuiz, seminars, workshops and panel discussions that will see a huge gathering of industry leaders sharing their thoughts and experiences.

The various factors that impact the refrigeration and cold chain industry are: technological challenges, right kind of investment model, education and training for facility personnel, policies and directives by the Government, change in life style of people, industry needs and requirements, and infrastructure support. REFCOLD India 2019 addresses all these challenges by bringing the entire industry together. ISHRAE is strongly supported by various industry associations and Government institutions like NCCD, IIR, MoFPI, NHB, REHVA, CAR, RATA, GCCA, IFMA, ASSOCHAM, IOR, AIACRA, AIRAH, IGBC, ISKID, FSAI, AP Chambers, BDMAI, Telangana Cold Storage Industry, KUFOS, Tamil Nadu Cold Storage Association and so many others.

The single objective of REFCOLD India 2019 is to plunge everyone connected with this industry into action mode, which is the need of the hour, into making an integrated cold chain spread very fast by involving all the stakeholders with a strong commitment from each one of us that we will play a vital role in whatever capacity we can, to make India strong and self-sustaining in refrigeration and cold chain and increase output, reduce wastage, enhance the food chain value and make India proud and great. This is possible with another blue revolution in the fisheries segment like the white revolution that happened earlier, and so many other path breaking events in all the segments. That is why we have a special theme for REFCOLD India 2019: REFRIGERATION & COLD CHAIN SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE – Enhancing Agriculture, Aquaculture, Healthcare & Beyond...

Come and Experience the revolution in Refrigeration and Cold Chain.

G. Anand Kumar
Chair - REFCOLD India 2019

The theme for this year’s REFCOLD is: REFRIGERATION & COLD CHAIN SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE – Enhancing Agriculture, Aquaculture, Healthcare and Beyond….

All the activities during the three-day event are formatted in accordance with this theme. To start with, the expo has exhibitors from almost all categories of refrigeration and cold chain such as industrial refrigeration, cold storages, reefer transportation and reefer containers and commercial refrigeration. The response is very good.

One of the highlights of the expo is the Innovation Hub, where new and innovative products manufactured by the exhibitors are displayed in a separate zone, which gets additional attention of the visitors. The space in the Innovation Hub is being given free of cost for products that qualify.

Technical seminars, panel discussions and workshops are formatted in a well thought out manner during all the three days, with specific themes for each individual session in accordance with the main theme stated above. Some of the topics in seminars and workshops are:
• How can the cold chain help doubling farmers’ income – a case study.
• Future of blue economy – sustainable use of ocean produce for economic growth.
• Indian cold logistics – where are the gaps and the solutions?
• Design of data mining, tracking and tracing systems for pharma cold chain.
• What can we learn from the NDDB model to apply to fruits and vegetables segment?

The faculty for these seminars and workshops comprises eminent people and experts drawn from all over the country. We expect these seminars to be as exciting as the expo, if not more. The seminars, panel discussions and workshops run in two parallel sessions during all the five days, covering a variety of topics for all segments of the industry.

In the Entrepreneurs’ Conclave scheduled on the third day of the expo, business leaders from the industry will share their success stories with the audience and budding entrepreneurs in an effort to motivate them to achieve their full potential. These leaders are drawn from three key segments of the industry – horticulture, dairy and marine refrigeration – once again in line with the stated theme. The larger objective of REFCOLD, in addition to the growth of refrigeration business, is to spread awareness and facilitate improvement in the preservation of all food products – horticulture, dairy, fish and prawns – in order to reduce wastage and increase productivity and thereby farmers’ income. It is not possible to achieve this objective without the active involvement of the government in our efforts. To this end, REFCOLD 2019 has obtained the support of government departments such as NHB, NCCD and MoFPI. The heads of these organizations are going to be our guests. Many interactive sessions are lined up between these government officials and industry leaders and entrepreneurs.

The expo is being held in Hyderabad, which today is one of the fastest growing cities in India and a nodal point for the refrigeration and cold chain business. The city has an excellent road and rail infrastructure. In addition, it has the unique advantage of being located almost in the centre of the country with just about an hour of flying time or an overnight train journey from almost all key cities and towns.

I am confident of an action packed, exciting three days of learning, knowledge sharing and the opportunity to explore new avenues for all stakeholders – visitors, exhibitors and partners.

Jenson Oolakadan Sebastian
Convenor - REFCOLD India 2019

The second edition of REFCOLD India is just a few weeks away, scheduled from November 21 to 23 at Hitex Exhibition center, Hyderabad, Telangana. In its very first edition in 2018, REFCOLD India had become India’s largest event focused on the refrigeration and cold chain industry. ISHRAE and Nürnberg Messe are engaged in making the show bigger and better in 2019 for all the stakeholders.

The theme of REFCOLD INDIA 2019 is REFRIGERATION & COLD CHAIN SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE – Enhancing Agriculture, Aquaculture, Healthcare and Beyond…. In order to reduce wastage and increase exports of perishable produce, cold chain management of fruits, vegetables, fish, dairy products, medicines and other commodities right from harvesting/production till reaching the consumer (from farm to fork) is one of the major and critical interventions. India is a land of opportunities, with its refrigeration and cold chain industry expected to grow at 13 to 15% in value annually over the next five years, according to a CRISIL research. REFCOLD India 2019, therefore, is a great platform for professional visitors from all over India and abroad to witness and learn about the developing technologies in this industry.

To make the event more interesting for visitors, The Host Committee of ISHRAE Deccan Chapter, along with ISHRAE HQ, has planned concurrent events like seminars and workshops by eminent speakers, REFCOLD India Emerson Awards that recognise innovation, buyer-seller meetings, Entrepreneurs’ Conclave, BizQuiz for industry professionals, and a Global Student Poster Design Competition. For any event to be successful, we need quality visitors, and the Host Committee along with Nürnberg Messe is working hard to reach out to all the segments of the refrigeration industry all over India to bring key influencers, decision makers and buyers to attend this event. Road shows are being held in many of the key cities and towns in India to spread awareness about this event and attract visitors. Shuttle bus services are being provided from nearest Metro stations and hotels around the venue for the benefit of visitors.

As Convenor of REFCOLD India 2019, on behalf of the Host Committee, I will be delighted to welcome you all to this great event in the most happening city of Hyderabad, and request you to block your dates and register online at the earliest at www.refcoldindia.com. I look forward to see you soon!