Schneider Electric and BRPL Launch India’s First SF6‑Free Smart Grid Pilot

• Schneider Electric and BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) Partner to Deploy India’s First Sustainable Pure Air RMU Pilot Project

Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, has partnered with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) to deploy India’s first RM AirSeT 12kV Indoor Ring Main Unit (RMU) pilot integrated with T300 Field Remote Terminal Unit (FRTU), enabling a more sustainable, connected, and future-ready power distribution network. By eliminating the use of SF6 gas and replacing it with pure air insulation, the deployment enables an estimated reduction of nearly 75 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions during the capex phase alone, marking a significant step toward cleaner and environmentally responsible grid infrastructure.

As Delhi’s peak power demand is projected to cross 9,000 MW amid rising urbanisation and growing cooling requirements, utilities are increasingly focusing on smarter and more sustainable grid infrastructure to ensure reliable power supply and support future energy needs. BRPL has been evaluating innovative medium-voltage switchgear technologies that can reduce environmental impact while improving operational reliability and network visibility. Schneider Electric deployed its SF6-free RM AirSeT 12kV solution, designed using pure air technology as an alternative to conventional gas-insulated switchgear. The deployment was further integrated with Schneider Electric’s T300 FRTU, enabling remote monitoring and control through BRPL’s SCADA network.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India, MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India, said, “India’s power sector is entering a new phase of transformation where sustainability must become an integral part of every infrastructure decision. As the country works towards its energy transition goals, it is important that environmental considerations are embedded across the entire electricity value chain, including transmission and distribution networks. The shift towards cleaner technologies will be critical in building a power ecosystem that can support growing demand while advancing the nation’s decarbonization ambitions. This collaboration with BRPL reflects the kind of forward-looking action that will help shape the future of India’s energy infrastructure.”

Mr. Udai Singh - MD & CEO, Schneider Electric Infrastructure Ltd and VP, Power Systems, Schneider Electric India said, “As India advances its energy transition journey, the focus must extend beyond expanding generation capacity to building distribution networks that are sustainable, resilient, and digitally enabled. Utilities will play a pivotal role in enabling this transformation by advancing energy technologies that strengthen grid reliability, reduce environmental impact, and accelerate the adoption of SF6-free infrastructure. Our collaboration with BRPL reflects a shared commitment to accelerating grid modernization and creating future-ready infrastructure that can support India’s evolving energy needs.”

The project marks a significant milestone for India’s utility sector. For the first time in the country, RM AirSeT 12kV Indoor RMUs were sourced from Schneider Electric’s SBMV global plant, while the FRTU integration was carried out at the company’s MVI plant in India. This enabled greater customization and flexibility in line with BRPL’s operational requirements. To support the deployment, Schneider Electric facilitated specialized training for Indian teams at its AMT Hungary plant to strengthen expertise in RM AirSeT technology and FRTU integration.

BRPL official, said, “At BRPL, we are continuously exploring technologies that strengthen network reliability while supporting our sustainability commitments. The deployment of Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT solution with integrated FRTU is an important step in that direction. This pilot has given us valuable insight into how SF6-free and connected technologies can support the future evolution of distribution networks in India.”

The RM AirSeT 12kV solution integrated with T300 FRTU delivers both sustainability and operational advantages. The technology also removes concerns around SF6 leakage during operations and eliminates the need for SF6 recovery and recycling at end of life, while offering a robust, reliable, and longer-lasting alternative to conventional RMUs.

This deployment reflects Schneider Electric’s continued commitment to supporting India’s grid modernization journey through sustainable and digitally enabled technologies. The BRPL pilot is expected to serve as a strong reference for future large-scale adoption of SF6-free medium-voltage solutions across the Indian utility market.

About Schneider Electric:

Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centres, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.

Schneider Electric and Foxconn Unite to Build AI Factories

Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, today announced a strategic collaboration with Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, to help define and scale the next generation of AI data centers.

As AI adoption surges, the demands on digital infrastructure are being fundamentally reshaped. This collaboration brings together Foxconn’s unmatched expertise in advanced compute platforms, AI rack integration, and global manufacturing with Schneider Electric’s leadership in power systems, cooling, and energy management. Together, the companies aim to deliver integrated, ready-to-deploy solutions that enable customers to build and operate AI infrastructure with greater speed, efficiency, and predictability across regions. Production will begin later this year.

“At the pace AI is evolving, the industry requires a new model for how infrastructure is designed, built, and delivered,” said Young Liu, Chairman of Foxconn. “By combining Foxconn’s strength in AI systems and global manufacturing with Schneider Electric’s deep expertise in power and energy, we are creating a path for customers to deploy AI capacity at scale—faster, smarter, and more sustainably.”

"AI demand continues to accelerate, and as compute scales to keep pace, the energy behind it becomes a fundamental enabler,” said Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric. “If we want to scale AI responsibly, these systems must be connected. This is where energy intelligence becomes essential. At Schneider Electric, we are advancing energy tech to build the most efficient and sustainable AI factories by bringing integrated power, cooling, and digital capabilities into AI data centers. Working with Foxconn, we are helping customers build capacity with real speed, resilience, and efficiency, as energy technology partners to an industry that is firmly entering the era of intelligence."

Through this collaboration, Foxconn and Schneider Electric will co-develop next-generation reference architectures for AI data centers. The partnership will also explore innovations in closed-loop energy optimization, modular power and cooling skids, and standardized design frameworks, creating repeatable, high-performance blueprints for AI factories worldwide. By aligning manufacturing excellence with energy intelligence, the two companies are setting the foundation for a new class of AI infrastructure that is scalable by design, efficient by default, and ready to meet the accelerating demands of the AI era. 

About Foxconn

Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) (TWSE:2317) is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer and leading technology solutions provider, ranking 28th in Fortune Global 500. In 2025, revenue totaled TWD8.1 trillion (approx. USD260 billion). The Group’s market share in electronics manufacturing services (EMS) exceeds 40% and covers four major product segments: smart consumer electronics; cloud and networking; computing; and components and other. Operating over 240 campuses across 24 countries, Foxconn is one of the world’s largest employers with approx. 900,000 employees during peak manufacturing season. We are committed to sustainability in the manufacturing process and serving as a best-practice model for global enterprises. The Group is guided by its 3+3+3 strategy, actively investing in industries of electric vehicles, digital health, and robotics; in technologies of artificial intelligence, semiconductors and next-generation communications; in intelligent platforms of Smart Manufacturing, Smart EV and Smart City. Foxconn is dedicated to becoming a comprehensive, world-class enterprise, with AI as its core driving force. Learn more at www.foxconn.com/en-us

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory.

With 160,000 employees and one million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.

www.se.com

Motivair by Schneider Electric Introduces Scalable 2.5MW Cooling Solution for GPUs & AI Workloads

Motivair by Schneider Electric, a leading innovator in liquid cooling technology for digital infrastructure, today introduced a new, industry-leading 2.5MW Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) designed to cool high-density data centers reliably, at scale.

The MCDU-70 is the highest-capacity CDU available from Motivair, and presents a breakthrough flexible and scalable solution for meeting the rigorous demands of next-generation GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit) and gigawatt-scale AI Factories.

Utilizing Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure software, Motivair’s CDUs operate as a centralized system—meeting today’s cooling requirements with the ability to scale to 10MW+ for next-gen HPC, AI and accelerated computing workloads.

Compact and efficient, the MCDU-70 is the newest addition to Motivair’s CDU line, providing cooling power without compromise by preserving full flow performance and facility pressure at gigawatt scale. Its capacity aligns perfectly with the needs of large-scale facilities, such as NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint, where deployments target 10MW to reach gigawatt scale. At 2.5 MW each, six MCDU-70s can provide a 4+2 redundancy for these designs, and the unit’s capacity is fit to service NVIDIA’s GPU roadmap for the foreseeable future.

AI isn’t slowing down. Our solutions are designed to keep pace with chip and silicon evolution—delivering next-gen performance when it matters most,” said Rich Whitmore, CEO & President of Motivair by Schneider Electric. “Data center success now hinges on delivering scalable, reliable, efficient infrastructure solutions that match the next generation of AI Factory deployments. We’re meeting that moment with proven liquid cooling solutions that scale with our customers’ needs.

Commenting on the broader impact of next-generation cooling infrastructure, Mr. Venkataraman Swaminathan, Vice President – Secure Power, Greater India, Schneider Electric, said, “As AI-driven digital infrastructure continues to scale in both capacity and complexity, resilient and energy-efficient power and cooling solutions are becoming foundational to data center design. Schneider Electric is focused on enabling future-ready digital infrastructure that delivers reliability and performance at scale, while supporting global sustainability and efficiency goals.”

With the addition of the MCDU-70, Schneider Electric’s end-to-end liquid cooling portfolio, now offers CDUs ranging from 105kW to 2.5MW, meeting current and future performance requirements. Each CDU is scalable and integrates seamlessly with other units and Schneider Electric’s software to deliver precise and reliable cooling capacity for data center operators. The MCDU-70 is now available to order globally via Schneider Electric’s advanced manufacturing hubs in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit the website.

Carbon Masters Raises Fresh Capital to Expand Biomethane and Organic Fertiliser Operations Across India

Carbon Masters India Pvt Ltd (CMIPL), a climate-tech venture pioneering circular economy solutions, has raised an undisclosed amount in a fresh round of equity funding led by Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA), Sangam Ventures, and IAN Group. The round also saw participation from Sriram Sankaran, Managing Director of Synchron Group, and Muthu Murugappan, CEO of Murugappa Group.

As part of this investment, Vikram Raman from SEEAA and Sriram Sankaran have joined Carbon Masters’ Board of Directors.

Carbon Masters, co-founded by Som Narayan and Kevin Houston, is committed to converting organic waste streams otherwise bound for landfill into renewable biomethane and bio-enriched organic manure, marketed under its flagship Carbonlites brand.

The company executes CBG (Compressed Biogas) and Organic manure projects through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and joint ventures (JVs) with strong waste management partners. Its flagship JV, Sustainable Impacts with Hasiru Dala Innovations, operates one of the few authorized wet waste processing facilities in Bangalore designated to handle the city’s bulk generators’ organic waste. The project has also secured pipeline injection clearance from GAIL, with pipeline laying now completed. This positions the plant uniquely to process waste at scale, and injecting biomethane into India’s gas grid to decarbonise households. It will also supply Carbonlites gas to hotels, restaurants, and industries as a substitute for LPG and CNG

Through this replicable SPV model, Carbon Masters is building a robust business framework to partner with municipalities and private operators across India to help it in its transition to net zero. 

With this fresh equity infusion, Carbon Masters will:

• Expand production capacity of Carbonlites Biomethane (CBG),
• Scale its Carbonlites bio-enriched organic fertiliser portfolio,
• Enhance efficiency across existing operations.
• Team building across sales marketing and R&D .

The company is now preparing for its next equity round to finance five upcoming SPVs, with Ostara Advisors, India’s first climate-tech-focused Transaction Advisory firm, appointed as investment bankers.

CMIPL currently operates five CBG plants across Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, collectively processing over 36,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste annually through anaerobic digestion. Its 80+ member team supplies Carbonlites CBG to commercial kitchens, industries, transport fleets, and city gas networks, while Carbonlites Bio-Enriched Organic Manure supports regenerative agriculture by improving soil health and farm productivity.

“We are proud to support Carbon Masters in its mission to decarbonize critical sectors of the Indian economy. Investing in scalable clean energy infrastructure and sustainable agriculture solutions is vital to building a resilient and inclusive low-carbon future.”, Gilles Vermot Desroches, SVP, Corporate Citizenship, Schneider Electric & President, SEEAA. 

“Carbon Masters’ innovative circular economy business model aligns with our vision of financing deep decarbonization pathways. The company’s potential to displace fossil fuels while improving soil health makes it a compelling climate-tech investment.” Karthik Chandrasekar, CEO, Sangam Ventures

“IAN has topped up its investment in Carbon Masters. This is a strong endorsement of the team’s execution and their ability to keep evolving. Carbon Masters reflects IAN’s thesis of solving real problems through innovation.”, Padmaja Ruparel, Co-founder, IAN Group. 

“We are grateful for the continued trust of our investors, which reflects confidence in our business and growth plans. This investment will help us further strengthen operations and scale sustainably, as we continue to support India’s transition to a low-carbon future and help our customers meet their net zero goals.” Som Narayan, CEO & Co-founder, Carbon Masters

About Carbon Masters

Carbon Masters India Pvt Ltd (CMIPL) is a climate-tech company focused on building a circular economy. Through its Carbonlites brand, the company converts wet municipal waste into Compressed Bio-Methane Gas (CBG) to replace fossil fuels, and Bio-Enriched Organic Manure to improve soil health. Its core value proposition lies in reducing carbon emissions while lowering operational costs for customers.

Website: https://www.carbonlites.com/

About the Investors

Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA)
Founded in 2019, SEEAA is an impact investment fund initiated and managed by Schneider Electric in collaboration with Norfund, EDFI, and Amundi. Its mission is to support 350 million people in Asia who lack access to clean energy.

Sangam Ventures
Sangam Ventures is an early-stage venture fund investing in climate-tech companies that drive decarbonization, resilience, and sustainable development in India.

IAN Group
India’s largest platform for seed and early-stage investments, IAN combines capital, mentoring, and global market access to support entrepreneurs. Its network spans 19 sectors across India and 7 other countries.

Schneider Electric Appoints Jai Sharma as CFO for Greater India Zone, Elevates Preeti Gupta Mohanty to Global Finance Role

Schneider Electric, the global leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced the appointment of Mr. Jai Sharma as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Greater India Zone. He succeeds Ms. Preeti Gupta Mohanty, who takes over as Senior Vice President – Finance, International Operations, Schneider Electric.

This transition reflects Schneider Electric’s strategic focus on building leadership continuity within the organization. By enabling employees to take on expanded responsibilities, the company cultivates a culture where talent is nurtured, developed, and elevated across geographies. Preeti’s advancement from a leadership role in India to a global mandate, together with Jai’s steady progression through diverse financial portfolios, underscores how India not only fuels Schneider Electric’s business growth but also serves as a critical talent hub shaping the company’s global leadership pipeline.

Congratulating Jai on his appointment, Mr. Deepak Sharma, Zone President, Greater India and MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India, said, “At Schneider Electric, we take pride in being a people-centric company with a strong growth mindset, where internal talent is encouraged to take on bigger responsibilities. Jai’s journey within Schneider Electric is a clear reflection of this culture, just as Preeti’s transition from a leadership role in India to International Operations demonstrates how India continues to serve as a key talent hub for the company. I am confident that under Jai’s leadership, we will further strengthen our financial resilience, accelerate business growth, and shape a long-term strategy to drive sustainable & profitable growth.”

Expressing his excitement on the new appointment, Mr. Jai Sharma said, “I am truly honored to take on the role of CFO for the Greater India Zone and to succeed Ms. Preeti Gupta Mohanty, whose leadership has been instrumental in shaping a strong financial foundation for our operations. As we build on this legacy, my focus will be on strengthening our financial strategy to support Schneider Electric’s ambitious growth agenda in India. In a market that is central to the company’s global vision, I look forward to working closely with our talented teams to drive operational excellence, enhance business resilience, and contribute meaningfully to our mission of enabling a more digital and sustainable future.”

Jai brings with him ~ 18 years’ experience across financial leadership roles encompassing strategic planning, management accounting, mergers & acquisitions, and working capital management. During his 11 years at Schneider Electric, Jai has held several key positions in Business Finance, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), and Merger Integration. Most recently, as Business Finance Head – India, Jai led the organization’s FP&A function, driving strategic insights and operational excellence across diverse business verticals.

Before his tenure at Schneider Electric, Jai was associated with Tata Teleservices Ltd, where he held leadership roles in Financial Planning & Analysis for nearly six years. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Jai also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University.

Schneider Electric and NVIDIA Team Up to Power €200 Bn AI Revolution in Europe

• R&D initiatives underscore companies’ commitment to co-developing new cooling, power, building management and control systems for digital and physical AI data centers
• Schneider Electric announces launch of new NVIDIA-enabled rack solution

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced it is collaborating with NVIDIA to serve the growing demand for sustainable, AI-ready infrastructure. Together, Schneider Electric and NVIDIA are advancing research and development (R&D) initiatives for power, cooling, controls, and high-density rack systems to enable the next generation of AI factories across Europe and beyond.

This unique global partnership, announced during NVIDIA GTC Paris, brings together the world leaders in sustainability and accelerated computing to support the European Union’s AI infrastructure ambitions and its “InvestAI” initiative, which plans to mobilize a €200 billion investment in AI.

Leveraging its expertise in AI-ready infrastructure, sustainability, and grid coordination, Schneider Electric and NVIDIA are together responding to the European Commission’s “AI Continent Action Plan,” which outlines a shared mission to set up at least 13 AI factories across Europe, while establishing up to five AI gigafactories.

“Schneider Electric and NVIDIA are not just partners — our teams are driving advanced R&D, co-developing the infrastructure needed to power the next wave of AI factories globally,” said Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric. “Together, we’ve seen tremendous success in deploying next-generation power and liquid cooling solutions, purpose-built for AI data centers. This strategic partnership — bringing together the world leaders in sustainability and accelerated computing — allows us to further accelerate this momentum, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for the AI workloads of tomorrow.”

“AI is the defining technology of our time—the most transformative force reshaping our world,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO, NVIDIA. “Together with Schneider Electric, we are building AI factories: the essential infrastructure that brings AI to every company, industry, and society.”

New NVIDIA-Enabled Infrastructure Solutions

In support of today’s announcement, Schneider Electric has also unveiled a suite of AI-ready data center solutions, including new EcoStruxure™ Pod and Rack Infrastructure. Designed to accelerate AI developments globally, the Prefabricated Modular EcoStruxure Pod Data Center is a scalable, pod-based architecture, enabling rapid AI data center deployment.

As part of this, a new Schneider Electric Open Compute Project (OCP) inspired rack system has also been developed to support the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 platform that uses the NVIDIA MGX modular architecture, integrating Schneider Electric into NVIDIA HGX and MGX ecosystems for the first time.

These announcements build on a series of milestones shared by the two global leaders earlier this year, including Schneider Electric and ETAP unveiling the world’s first digital twin for electrical and large-scale power systems in AI factories using the NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint.

Together, Schneider Electric and NVIDIA have also co-developed a series of full electrical and liquid cooling-based reference designs as an approved CDU vendor for NVIDIA — many of which also include solutions from Motivair’s liquid cooling portfolio, following its acquisition by Schneider Electric in March 2025.

Through this expanded and deepened strategic partnership, Schneider Electric and NVIDIA will continue to accelerate their infrastructure initiatives, fast-tracking new product rollouts and reference designs to build the AI factories of the future.

Mumbai-based Clean Energy Venture Biofuels Junction Secures Investment from Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia and Disruptors Capital

• Biofuels Junction, a solid biofuels manufacturer in India obtained investment from Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA) and Disruptors Capital. 
• SEEAA is an impact fund dedicated to investing in clean energy start-ups that work towards increasing the quality of life and boosting economic development in Asia.
• In FY2023, Biofuels Junction sourced waste from over 28,000 farmers, and avoided 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions and 84.2K tons of agricultural waste.

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced that it has made an equity investment in Biofuels Junction through Schneider Electric Energy Access (SEEAA), the Asia-focused clean energy fund, co-funded by Norfund, EDFI MC and Amundi, Through this collaboration, Schneider Electric is empowering Biofuels Junction in their business objective of preventing stubble burning of agricultural waste and instead using this waste and converting it into solid biofuels.

Biofuels Junction is a Mumbai-based clean-energy venture that manufactures and aggregates solid biofuels in the form of briquettes and pellets made from agricultural residues, to be used as a replacement for fossil fuel in various industries. In FY23, Biofuels Junction sourced waste from over 28,000 farmers and impacted 140,000 beneficiaries, resulting in the avoidance of 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions and 84.2K tons of agricultural waste.

“We are excited to welcome SEEAA and Disruptors Capital as new investors in our company”, said Ashvin Patil, co-founder, and CEO of Biofuels Junction. “This funding round will be instrumental to help us expand our current business and also launch a technology platform to better address the requirements of the biofuels value chain,” added Ashvin.

Gilles Vermot Desroches, Senior Vice President Corporate Citizenship Schneider Electric and President of SEEAA, stated, “There is a vast opportunity in India for solid biofuels sourced from agricultural residue to replace fossil fuels used in industries, leading to significant benefits to the environment (through CO2 savings) as well as social (through increased income for smallholder farmers and their families). We are happy to partner with Biofuels Junction who are doing this in an organized manner at scale.”

Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India and CEO & MD, of Schneider Electric India (SEIPL), reiterated the business’s commitment towards the country’s net zero goals and said “Schneider Electric is relentlessly working towards closing the gap between progress and sustainability. We believe in collaborating with like-minded partners to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero future. Sustainability is a collective goal and will need collective action from all. Through such partnerships, we are not only empowering businesses to reach climate goals but also encouraging them to prioritize sustainable practices across the value chain. We see this as a proud step towards contributing to India’s net zero journey”

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software, and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure, and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.
www.se.com

About SEEAA

SEEAA is a EUR 21 million investment vehicle funded by Schneider Electric, Norfund, EDFI MC and Amundi, and managed by Schneider Electric to invest in early-stage clean energy ventures in South and Southeast Asia.

Related resources:

• Impact Investing
• Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia

About Disruptors Capital

Disruptors Capital focuses on investing in B2B tech startups at seed to pre-series A phase. The core focus of the fund is to invest in companies operating in technology-driven sectors such as SaaS, FinTech, CleanTech, EdTech, and more.

https://disruptors.capital/

Microsoft and Schneider Electric to Host Digital Event: ‘Buildings of The Future: Smart to Autonomous’

Schneider Electric, the global leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, and Microsoft India today announced a digital event ‘Buildings of The Future: Smart to Autonomous’ centered around creating secure and resilient buildings during a crisis. Scheduled for July 7, 2020, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. the session willexplore key differentiators which building management should embrace to facilitate cost optimisation, energy savings and safety of occupants. Technology intervention can make critical requirements like contactless management, predictive and remote operational efficiency, real in today’s environment. The session will be led by Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India and Anil Chaudhry, Zone President & Managing Director, Schneider Electric, India.

The recent health crisis and economic scenario has led businesses and communities to have an even sharper focus on the health, safety and well-being of people, making contact-less operations crucial. As most companies transition to a hybrid work environment, smart buildings that enable secure, efficient operations will be critical. Technology is playing a big role in enabling that, with  technologies like IoT and AI being used for remote monitoring services that provide  insights into a building’s performance and health, helping organisations, and communities achieve operational efficiency and build resilience.

Schneider Electric and Microsoft have brought IT & OT & AI together to create a seamless and secure AIoT- enabled platform providing customers the tools they need to build resilience in these challenging times. Powered by Microsoft, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building Advisor, EcoStruxure Power Advisor and Workplace Advisor are intelligent tools that enable condition-based monitoring and maintain power network operations along with building HVAC systems, while teams are operating with reduced strength or off-site.

Talking about the engagement with Schneider Electric, Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, “In today’s world of remote everything, technology is playing a central role in building economic resilience. Technologies like AI, IOT, big data and machine learning are helping businesses transform, adapt and drive business success by providing real time actionable insights for efficient and secure operations. Our collaboration with Schneider Electric reflects our commitment to help organizations build the digital capability required to pivot toward recovery and accelerate digital success for India.”

Teams can continue making data-driven decisions, using powerful diagnostics to anticipate potential malfunctions in electrical and HVAC equipment. Microsoft’s technology that powers these platform gathers data from sensors to create parallel digital twins to drive insights, is scalable and can integrate

with any digital environment. It helps in digitising power and building management systems, increases remote service capabilities, controls costs, and maintains operations when resources are low.

“Building owners, operators, and facility managers in critical facilities, such as data centers, hospitals, and airports, today face a daunting task of keeping operations running smoothly at maximum capacity, with minimum resources and this can be only achieved through digitisation and the right use of technology. Organisations today need to become more resilient and adapt to disruptive measures to ensure business continuity,”said Anil Chaudhry, Zone President & Managing Director, Schneider Electric-India.

The event will highlight measures to optimise operational efficiency without compromising on comfort and safety, discuss preventive checks on assets with digital tools and predictive maintenance of assets nearing breakdown and share insights around safeguarding premises from cybersecurity threats.

To join the event, please register: https://tinyurl.com/ycvdp393

About Schneider Electric

At Schneider, we believe access to energy and digital is a basic human right. We empower all to make the most of their energy and resources, ensuring Life Is On everywhere, for everyone, at every moment.

We provide energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability. We combine world-leading energy technologies, real-time automation, software and services into integrated solutions for Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.

We are committed to unleash the infinite possibilities of an open, global, innovative community that is passionate about our Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

IoT-based Solar Energy Firm Okra Closes Funding from Schneider Electric, Japan's GGG

Okra Solar, a tech company that helps communities in developing countries get access to electricity through its IoT (Internet of Things) based Solar Smart Grids, has just secured a round of investment from electricity giant Schneider Electric and also GGG (a conglomerate of Japanese power giants Tepco and Chubo Power). This funding shows in challenging times with COVID-19 looming, corporates are looking for new ways to be profitable — what better way than by bringing power and development to the 900 Million people who still don't have electricity.

The Australian technology startup has recently released two new products -- the Okra Edamame IoT Pod and the Okra Harvest software platform. Together, they enable energy utilities to rapidly energise off-grid communities using solar smart grids. We will use this additional funding to continue our expansion into key South-East Asian markets whilst prospecting pilot projects in Nigeria in Q4 of this year.

Okra Distributed Micro-Grid

Okra’s modular DC smart-grids enable households to receive 24/7 electricity for half of the operating costs of traditional AC minigrids. Its modular node-to-node distribution architecture and IoT to remotely control and monitor, enables unparalleled reliability for end-users and grid operators.

Okra's plug & play IoT controller, aka. the Okra "Pod"​, uses machine learning and remote monitoring to ensure power is efficiently distributed throughout a network of solar households. Its cloud software provides grid owners with real-time data so they know when and how networks should be scaled.

Okra Solar works with local utilities to transform #offgrid communities into energy abundant #microgrid economies. Connecting households together using smart distribution techniques makes energy more reliable and up to 10x cheaper than grid extension or AC micro-grids.

Skill India Ties up with French Government and Schneider Electric in Energy Sector

Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the industry-led Power Sector Skill Council (PSSC), will co-promote a Centre of Excellence and support training of electricians for underprivileged youth in one hundred Government approved skill development centres.

The MoU is a significant step in operationalizing key aspects of the partnership between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Ministry of Education, France to strengthen cooperation in the skill development sector.

• Schneider Electric Foundation and Schneider Electric India Foundation will donate didactic equipment, setup labs and also undertake Training of Trainer programs in skill development centres jointly identified in consultation with NSDC and PSSC.

• Standardized programs compliant with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSDF) will be offered leading to a nationally recognized certification for all passing graduates.

• The Centre of Excellence, to be established in the National Capital Region, will focus on training of trainers, R&D and specialized corporate programs in the areas of power, solar and automation.

The MoU for the alliance was exchanged in presence of Shri. Rajiv Pratap Rudy- Honourable Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, H. E. Mr. Alexandre Ziegler-Ambassador of France to India, Michel Le Devehat, Representative of Ministry of Higher Education, France, Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire – Chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric, and Shri Rohit Nandan – Secretary, MSDE. The event was also graced by Mr Jean Marc Fenet, Minister-Counsellor, Embassy of France, Shri Rajesh Agarwal - Joint Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Shri Manish Kumar, MD & CEO of NSDC.

With India’s ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement, the alliance further supports the commitment towards keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C, through skilling the youth of India towards electrical efficiency and sustainable energy.

Driving Innovation At Every Level of India’s Energy Sector Speaking at the occasion, Jean Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO Schneider Electric, said “We are proud to partner with the Government of India to contribute to the skill equity of the country. We have already trained 52,000 underprivileged youth as electricians through 260 training centres across the country and through this MoU we aim to further accelerate the initiative. Skill development is a key requirement of a robust economy to improve productivity and output through nurturing talent. We feel we have a whole lot to contribute to develop skilled manpower in the field of electricity and to make India self-reliant in the energy sector. At Schneider Electric, we believe Access to Energy is a basic human right.”

Schneider Innovation at Every Level harnesses the power and promise of its Internet of Things-powered by Ecostruxure architecture to reshape cities, transform industries and enrich lives through connected products, edge control, apps, analytics and services. Training is key to implement these innovations.

Commenting on the partnership, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (I/C) said, “With a heavy focus in our country on national missions like Make in India, Digital India and Smart Cities, there is a great need for skilled workforce in the power, solar energy and automation sector. Schneider is a global leader in this domain and we are certain that this partnership will create a great resource of trainers and assessors in this vertical and then in turn train our nation’s youth for greater employment opportunities.”

“This industry ready workforce will be aligned to the latest modules for applications from a simple machine to the most complex of processes. With the increasing demand for skilled workforce and changing trends in automation, in both industrial and in general day to day life, there is a huge requirement across sectors which needs to be addressed at the earliest,” he further added.

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