Infineon Technologies, a world leader in semiconductors supports the 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 today with the announcement of three top submissions for working designs in motor drive solutions 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.
“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 business experts on
the same platform and build a viable, marketable solution that 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.
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.
About Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life
easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon are the key to a better
future. In the 2020 fiscal year (ending 30 September), Infineon reported revenue of
more than €8.5 billion with a workforce of some 46,700 people worldwide. Following
the acquisition of the US company Cypress Semiconductor Corporation in April 2020,
Infineon is now a global top 10 semiconductor company.
