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Six cutting-edge innovators have been selected to partner with the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), a TATA Group hospitality subsidiary, to pilot new, cost-effective and climate-smart cooling technologies, as part of IFCs TechEmerge programme.

The selected innovators are Paharpur Cooling Towers, IOTomation Ecotech, Green Efficient Solutions, Desiccant Rotors International, and Zenatix Solutions -- all from India -- and Elgressy Engineering Services from Israel.

They will pilot their new space cooling solutions at seven of IHCL's Taj hotels over the next 12-18 months, supported by a pool of up to $500,000 in total grant funding.

The International Finance Corporation's (IFC) TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation Program, which is funded by the UK government's International Climate Finance (ICF), matches innovators across the world with leading companies in emerging markets to accelerate the adoption of solutions that make cooling more affordable and energy-efficient, while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to funding, the TechEmerge programme also provides advisory support throughout field testing to help innovators mitigate financial and operational risks, reduce adoption risks for local firms, and facilitate market-entry and tech transfer. If the pilots are successful, IHCL and innovators may decide to enter into commercial partnerships.

India is one of the world's fastest growing cooling markets, but conventional air-conditioning, refrigeration, and other cooling applications are highly expensive, consume large amount of energy, and produce 7 per cent of greenhouse gasses globally.

Congratulating IHCL for piloting more affordable and efficient cooling technologies, British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, said, "This is an essential step for reducing emissions and delivering on the Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26."

"At IHCL, we constantly endeavour to contribute to preserving the environment in a meaningful way. Our partnership with IFC's TechEmerge programme and some of the world's most exciting cooling innovators is a unique and industry-first collaboration creating sustainable solutions in the hospitality sector," said Gaurav Pokhariyal, Senior Vice President and Global Head-HR, IHCL.

"Sustainable cooling is not a luxury but a necessity for managing energy demand and equitable energy access. It has far-reaching impacts on health and economic prosperity -- while tackling the clear and present challenge of climate change.

"Through programmes like TechEmerge, IFC supports private sector innovation to pave the way for scalable and cutting-edge cooling solutions, driving climate action and resilience across India and the region," said Wendy Werner, India Head at IFC.