Global Semiconductor Firm Infineon Supports Ecosystem Development In Green Agriculture

Infineon Technologies, a top 10 global semiconductor major has collaborated with with Invest India on Motor Drive Design Challenge for solar pumps. Solar pumps of course are a critical part of the government’s thrust to solarise Indian agriculture under the PM KUSUM scheme and more.

For Infineon, the initiative is part of its support for development of affordable and reliable solar powered irrigation systems for farmers, designed and manufactured locally. Its ‘Infineon Solar Pump Motor Drive Design Challenge 2021′ initiative concluded with the announcement of three top submissions for working designs in motor drive solution 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 domestic solar pump ecosystem. Moreover, this challenge aimed to support the Government of India’s countrywide ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, ‘Make In India’ & ‘PM-KUSUM’ initiatives, by making life easier and greener with microelectronics from Infineon.

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“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.

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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.

Infineon has been actively engaging with the startup and entrepreneur ecosystem in India since 2017. Over the past few years, the company has partnered with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at Niti Aayog and various incubators across India including Electropreneur Park and NSRCEL to foster and nurture promising startups and drive tomorrow‘s solutions addressing some key societal concerns. Most recently, Infineon has been actively funding technology-based healthcare solutions developed by premier institutes to enable India to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.