Tech Mahindra was conferred with the 2021 Volvo India Innovation Award for its innovative Energy and Fleet Management solutions for the Indian market. The Award, adjudged by an eminent jury, was presented at the Volvo India Innovation Summit held in Bengaluru on 10th November 2021. Zypp Electric also conferred with the Volvo India Innovation Award under the SME category for their last-mile connectivity solutions that aim to uberize the same day Delivery using EV Fleet. Meanwhile, the Department of Urban Land Transport, Karnataka, was honoured with special recognition for its project on improving Quality of Life (QoL).
Smart Energy Management can play a key role in reducing the CO2 footprint in the country. Tech Mahindra's eNetra is a frugal nonintrusive IoT device that offers the ability to turn millions of regular energy meters in the country into smart & intelligent ones, without replacing them. It connects regular meters to the internet, captures the consumption metrics and sends data to the cloud. Both individuals and enterprises can manage and monitor their energy consumption in real-time using Mobile App as well as a Web portal through data analytics and insights.
Tech Mahindra also presented the ability to use data insights & connectivity further with their open-source & integrated fleet management system - Vetturino. Scalable and flexible, it promises new opportunities to make fleet operations safer and efficient across a single-vehicle, convoy, or the entire fleet operation.
Zypp Electric's last-mile connectivity solution not only aims to uberize same-day delivery in the B2B segment but also promotes aspects of sustainability. It deploys electric 2 & 3-wheelers along with innovative charging solutions; is socially inclusive, provides potential employment to low-income groups; provide higher utilization levels through AI, Machine Learning & IoT tools thus building a last-mile solution that is optimized & economical.
"Today, the need for innovation is greater than ever before. We are standing at crossroads, where on one side, we face challenges to our planet & people, while on the other, we are seeing boundless opportunities arising out of emerging technologies and changing consumer demands that lead to new business models. Clearly, innovation through co-creation is the vital way forward to accelerate meaningful adoption and use of these technologies for the common good and a sustainable future. This indeed is our inspiration behind the Volvo India Innovation Award. We believe that this will help to spotlight and encourage an innovation culture in the country, which in turn would inspire us all to develop solutions for our collective future." commented Kamal Bali, President & MD, Volvo Group, India.
Department of Urban Land Transport [DULT], Government of Karnataka, was honoured with special recognition for their initiative in turning Church Street in Bengaluru into a testbed for future solutions in pedestrianization, clean air & electric micro-mobility. The initiative has attracted 14 start-ups to test their products and has also become a platform for artists & performers to connect with their audience. DULT has now embarked upon the development of a toolkit for pedestrianization in Bengaluru.
The 2021 Volvo India Innovation Award was judged by a distinguished Jury comprising:
• Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman Axilor Ventures, and Co-Founder, Infosys
• Mr. Vinayak Chatterjee, Infrastructure Sector Expert
• Ms. Zarin Daruwala, CEO Standard Chartered Bank, India
• Mr. Lennart Börjesson, SVP Volvo Group HQ, Sweden
• Ms. Helene Niklasson, VP Volvo Group HQ, Sweden
The aspirants to the inaugural edition of the Volvo India Innovation Award covered a diverse range of topics - from Automation, Infrastructure, Sustainable Mobility, Electromobility, Accessibility, Connectivity, Energy Management among other areas. Entries were received from stakeholders across the eco-system - Individuals, Industry, Academia as well as Authorities.