Climaveneta takes it to the next level
Climaveneta Climate Technologies Pvt Ltd (CCTPL), a group company of the Japanese multinational Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, is significantly expanding its presence in the Indian HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning) market. The Bangalore-headquartered Indian subsidiary is currently one of India’s fastest-growing chiller manufacturers and a market leader (with a 32 per cent share) in co-location Data Centre (DC) chiller manufacturing. Over the next 4-5 years, the company, focusing on DC and industrial segments, aims to more than double its turnover to Rs1,000 crore and become the overall market leader in India’s chiller market.
Originally a part of the Italian company Climaveneta SpA, an industry leader in commercial air-conditioning equipment since 1971, Climaveneta India is now a group company of Mitsubishi Electric, which fully acquired Climaveneta SpA’s global operations in 2016. Following the acquisition, Climaveneta SpA was renamed Mitsubishi Electric Hydronic and IT Cooling SpA.
Since its acquisition by the Japanese multinational, the Climaveneta brand has undergone a significant transition in India. The country has not only emerged as one of the group’s key markets but is also being projected as one of its Centres of Excellence (alongside China and Europe) for manufacturing. Globally, Climaveneta operates five plants in Italy, three in China, and recently commissioned plants in France and Vietnam.
Climaveneta India has already carved a niche for itself in the local market. Among the wide range of clients who have placed their trust in the brand is the Government of India. The new Parliament building, inaugurated in May 2023, uses Climaveneta’s FOCS2-W water-cooled chillers for air-conditioning. The building incorporates green features, including energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality monitoring, wastewater recycling, minimal waste generation, and the use of renewable energy.
The company, renowned for manufacturing chillers and precision air-conditioning (PAC) equipment for data centres, laboratories, commercial buildings, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and manufacturing units, has invested Rs400 crore in a state-of-the-art plant at Narsapura, Kolar district – a key industrial hub located around 50km from Bengaluru. While Phase I of the plant was commissioned in January 2020, Phase II was rolled out in November 2024. The company is planning further investment over the next 3-4 years to expand the current facility to meet increasing market demand.
“The Indian market is not only a promising market, but also an important contributor to our global business. Climaveneta India has been able to penetrate the market and establish itself strongly in a short period of time. This has encouraged us to embark on an expansion of our manufacturing facility near Bangalore, as a mark of Mitsubishi Electric Group’s commitment to India and also as an important step in our Journey towards market Leadership in India,”says Masafumi Ando,Global CEO of Mitsubishi Electric and Hydronic and IT Cooling Systems SpA.
The advanced facility currently manufactures central air-conditioning equipment such as screw chillers, magnetic levitation technology chillers, scroll chillers, conventional centrifugal chillers, high-precision AC units, and heat pumps for various HVAC applications.
The Indian operation, apart from catering to the domestic market, now also exports to countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and several nations in Africa. Over the next 4-5 years, Climaveneta India, which currently produces over 1,000 chillers and precision AC units annually, aims to increase its export share to 20 per cent. In India, the company has established regional offices in Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi, along with branch offices in Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, and Surat, to proactively serve various geographies.
“The Indian central HVAC equipment market is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world today, and we at Climaveneta India are fully geared up to seize the opportunities presented by this market. Over the last few years, ever since the brand was acquired by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, we have significantly enhanced our capabilities to embark on our journey towards becoming a formidable player in the country,” says Anil Dev, CEO of Climaveneta Climate Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Unique fusion
“Climaveneta has emerged as a unique organisation. It is a company of European origin (the No 1 European central HVAC equipment manufacturer) and carries the European DNA of precision engineering, reliability, solid build quality, and a distinctive blend of form and function. This is complemented by strong Japanese genes, which bring meticulous quality control, processes, and systems. The icing on the cake is the Indian team’s deep market knowledge, field engineering expertise, and professional service capabilities. Together, these make us the most formidable chiller manufacturer in India today,” adds the CEO.
Dev, along with his family, holds a 25 per cent share in Climaveneta India, while the remaining 75 per cent is owned by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Dev, a BTech (Mechanical) graduate from NIT Surat, has 42 years of experience in the HVAC industry. Even before the acquisition by the Japanese multinational, he held a 25 per cent stake in the company.
Today, supported by 300 employees, Climaveneta India competes effectively with global players such as Trane, York, Daikin, and Carrier in the chiller segment; Vertiv, Stulz, and Swegon in the PAC segment; and Bosch, Swegon, Carrier, Daikin, Trane, and Midea in the heat pump segment. The Rs5,000-crore Indian chiller market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-10 per cent, driven by strong macro-economic indicators.
Notably, the company was the first to manufacture and supply AHRI-certified data centre application-specific chillers in India. AHRI, or the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, is a global performance certifying agency headquartered in the USA. Climaveneta India also pioneered the manufacture and supply of the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant R1234ze-based chillers in India for data centre applications. Additionally, the company introduced and supplied state-of-the-art magnetic levitation air-cooled chillers and was the first to manufacture ‘Plug & Play’ chillers in India, featuring inbuilt pumps with integrated variable flow control management.
Facing regulatory pressures to eliminate high-GWP refrigerants, the HVAC industry is focusing on alternatives such as hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), including R1234yf, R1234ze, and R1233zd. These refrigerants are non-ozone-depleting, have very low GWP levels, are non-flammable or mildly flammable, and belong to a group of lower-density refrigerants.
Magnetic levitation chillers, which Climaveneta India has pioneered, are advanced air-conditioning systems that use magnetic bearings to enhance energy efficiency (by up to 49 per cent) and reduce noise and vibration. These chillers suspend the compressor shaft using magnetic fields, allowing precise control of its rotation.
Chillers, designed for large-scale applications, offer high cooling capacities ideal for industrial and large facilities. They distribute chilled water through a network of pipes to air handling or fan-coil units throughout a building. By contrast, air conditioners are used for smaller spaces, relying on direct air cooling and a simpler refrigeration cycle. Water-cooled chillers are highly efficient, using external cooling tower water to reject heat, while air-cooled chillers expel heat directly into the environment through condenser coils, making them suitable for regions with limited water resources.
Globally, Climaveneta is renowned for its environmentally friendly and energy-efficient cooling systems. The company specialises in application-based product innovation, emphasising sustainable and energy-saving solutions for data centres, commercial buildings, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, and healthcare, among other sectors. Its operations focus on three primary applications: Comfort, IT Cooling, and Process Applications.
In Comfort Applications, Climaveneta provides systems for controlling temperature, humidity, and air quality in human-occupied spaces such as hotels, offices, hospitals, commercial buildings, and government facilities. The company’s clients in India include ISRO (Bengaluru), Microsoft (Hyderabad), JW Marriott (Chandigarh), and Columbia Asia Hospital (Pune). NTPC, HUL, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Madras have also entrusted Climaveneta with their HVAC and HPAC systems.
“Prestige Group has been working with Climaveneta for the last 6 years now. During this period, majority of the chillers used by us for our various important projects were procured from Climaveneta. Their exceptional quality and reliable performance continue to exceed our expectations. The support from their team is outstanding, providing quick responses and expert guidance every step of the way. Climaveneta is undoubtedly a trusted partner, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours,” says Faiz Rezwan, Executive Director of Prestige Group.
In Process Applications, Climaveneta has supplied variable frequency drive (VFD) air-cooled screw chillers to Biocon (Bengaluru), low-temperature chillers to Sula Vineyards (Nashik), screw chillers and heat pumps to Stelis Biopharm (Bengaluru), and VFD water-cooled screw chillers to JK Tyres (Chennai).
In IT Cooling, the company offers solutions for precise temperature, humidity control, and filtration in ICT data centres and telecom applications. Climaveneta has provided IT cooling systems for Google’s facilities in Hyderabad and Chennai and for the Bombay Stock Exchange (Mumbai).
Holding a market leadership position in co-location data centre chillers, Climaveneta India has supplied VFD air-cooled chillers to Adani Data Centre (Pune). Additionally, it has provided Qualcomm’s data centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru with IT cooling systems and air-cooled chillers.
“We are building a strong clientele for ourselves. Our customer-centric approach and wide product portfolio, tailored to the specific needs of our customers, have significantly expanded our market share. The last few years have been remarkable as we ramped up our capabilities,” says Edison Rajan Jose, Executive Vice President, Climaveneta Climate Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Sustainable portfolio
“Climaveneta is known for manufacturing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient HVAC and precision air-conditioning systems. We specialise in application-based product innovation with an emphasis on sustainability and energy-saving solutions. In India, the market is evolving significantly, with customers increasingly demanding cost-effective and sustainable products. Currently, we enjoy an annual order booking of over Rs500 crore, and we aim to double this figure within the next 4-5 years,” states Kapil Purandare, Chief Operating Officer, Climaveneta Climate Technologies Pvt Ltd.
The company’s manufacturing facility near Bengaluru is well equipped with a Design and Product Development department. As the Indian facility is being promoted as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in manufacturing, the intention of the global management is to further develop this, using the highly skilled technical and engineering resources available in the country. The new factory also encompasses a modern training centre with an auditorium-like training room, whose purpose is to impart technical training to internal and external stakeholders.
Moreover, the Indian facility also boasts one of the most modern testing facilities. In total, there are six testing labs, making it one of the largest facilities dedicated to chillers in India. Air-cooled, water-cooled, and PAC assembly lines are equipped with production run test labs. Besides, there is a modern and sophisticated performance test-cum-witness test setup with state-of-the-art viewing monitors. With this facility, CCTPL can offer performance tests for all its manufactured products at AHRI/Eurovent and design conditions up to 50 degrees ambient.
Of the six testing labs, the HPAC performance test lab for DX & Chilled Water Units is capable of testing units up to 80TR as per Eurovent & AHRI standards. The Air-Cooled Screw Chillers Test Lab can test units from 50 to 600TR or tons of refrigeration. Besides, the Water-Cooled Screw Chillers Test Lab is capable of testing units from 50 to 1500 TR as per Eurovent & AHRI standards. There is also a Customer Witness Test Lab, which can test units up to 500TR with a sophisticated viewing facility.
Moreover, the company’s manufacturing setup is designed with Lean Factory Manufacturing principles like balanced production single-line flow, 5S, Mudas, and Kaizen. The facility is ISO certified. The company has received AHRI certification for its testing facility and water-cooled screw chillers, and Eurovent certification for air-cooled screw chillers. Besides, it has been accredited with ASME certification for shell & tube heat exchangers.
“Our new factory is a part of the company’s strategy to expand its footprint in the Indian market and enhance its product range with backward integration. Climaveneta strongly believes that product performance and quality are key factors to sustain in the market and ensure that all products undergo multilevel quality checks and testing. Quality, reliability, and efficiency are the cornerstones of our products, and technology is the key towards achieving these attributes,” says Nanthagopalan TK, VP, Technical & CTO, CCTPL.
“Our commercial goal is to be among the top two chiller manufacturers in India in the next 2 years and to be the market leader in India in 5 years. This new expanded facility is an important step in this direction. We always provide our customers with the best-suited technologies and innovations to help them achieve their goals. We have differentiated ourselves with application-specific variants to provide the best performance for a given application. Our philosophy is: ‘Do not use one key to open all locks,’” states Dev.
Climaveneta is known for providing efficient & sustainable HVAC products and solutions. The FX & iFX Chiller range of air-cooled chillers with screw compressors and inverter technology are suitable for medium to large commercial applications. Combined with Climaveneta’s innovative free cooling technology, these air-cooled chillers are supremely sustainable. These machines offer a COP greater than 3.20. The COP, or Coefficient of Performance, is a performance rating that tells us how effective a heat pump or air conditioner is at transferring heat versus the amount of electrical power it consumes.
The FOCSWATER chiller range of water-cooled chillers employs screw compressors and inverter technology, designed for medium to large commercial applications. These machines offer a COP greater than 6.30. Moreover, precise air-conditioners designed for cooling data centres are equipped with new inverter technology and the eco-friendly R-410a refrigerant, catering to a capacity range of 3 kW to 198 kW. These are ideal for technical rooms and data centres.
Efficient manufacturing
“These products prioritise efficiency, bolstering building comfort while preserving the environment. The air-cooled & water-cooled chillers, driven by screw compressors and inverter technology, ensure high efficiency and reliability, making them apt for sizable commercial settings. The precision ACs are available with inverter technology and are best suited for Data Centre Cooling systems to optimise power consumption,” says Purandare.
“We cover all three scopes of emissions. This comprises sourcing components from partners who practice sustainability and components with low embedded emissions. Secondly, an efficient manufacturing facility that recovers waste heat and provides renewable (solar) energy. Thirdly, we ensure our products have low emissions or a minimal carbon footprint during their operational life-cycles. We use refrigerants with zero ozone depletion features. Also, we have the capability to supply refrigerants with the lowest GWP,” explains the CEO.
“The group is targeting 2050 to achieve complete carbon neutrality, and Climaveneta India is playing a major role in this plan. Climaveneta India’s products are particularly crucial now, given the buoyant Indian economy and the sudden, rapid changes in industrial dynamics. Europe and many developed countries are phasing out refrigerants with global warming implications, making alternative technologies the need of the hour. The company’s products ensure zero ozone depletion, and the current high demand for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient cooling systems reflects this shift,” says Ando, the global CEO.
With all these developments, the company is well-prepared to leverage emerging market opportunities. The data centre (DC) market in India is growing briskly, with the current installed capacity of 1 GW (1,000 MW) expected to triple in 4-5 years. This additional 2 GW of capacity will create a market of nearly Rs3,500-4,000 crore for chiller and cooling system suppliers over the same period. Industries such as electronics, chip manufacturing, renewable energy (solar), and pharmaceuticals are expected to continue witnessing higher double-digit growth. Additionally, hospitality and healthcare are booming, the commercial office segment has rebounded, and retail, particularly malls and multiplexes in smaller cities, is anticipated to drive further growth.
Amidst this conducive scenario, Climaveneta India is strongly positioned to embark on its next growth phase. Over the past few years, particularly after its acquisition by the Japanese major, the company has significantly ramped up its capacities and product portfolio to seize the opportunities the Indian market presents. Today, the brand enjoys a distinct edge, benefiting from the legacy of two global players. Climaveneta has been in India for some time now, but with Mitsubishi owning the brand, it can access the market more effectively. Mitsubishi, having been in India for several years, already enjoys strong brand recall, further enhancing Climaveneta’s market position.