Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao inaugurated the Telangana Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain. This initiative aims to promote food and health security, empower farmers, and boost exports. The center will focus on sustainable cooling innovation and energy-efficient refrigeration for food and vaccine supply chains in India.
The establishment of this center is the result of an MoU signed between the Government of Telangana and the University of Birmingham in 2022. The University of Birmingham will serve as the knowledge partner and assist in developing the center into a state-of-the-art research and innovation hub. The goal is to deploy cooling and cold-chain solutions that address the specific needs of Telangana and India.
Several dignitaries attended the inauguration including Gareth Owens, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Hyderabad, Professor Toby Peters, Director of the Centre of Sustainable Cooling at the University of Birmingham, M Bikshapathi, Chairman of TSTPC, and Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary (IT and Industries).
During the event, KTR expressed his gratitude for the establishment of this center, stating that it is the first of its kind in India. He highlighted that it will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and will provide comprehensive solutions for the challenges faced by the cold-chain ecosystem in the country. The center will develop and demonstrate cooling technologies and solutions that meet the specific needs of Telangana and have the potential for global scalability. KTR also thanked the University of Birmingham for choosing Hyderabad as the location for this initiative and Carrier for their support.
