Godrej Appliances takes up the Global Immunization Challenge

- Godrej Appliances to design and manufacture medical refrigerators using Sure Chill technology via a technology licensing agreement with UK-based The Sure Chill Company for the global market and exclusively to sell across India and neighboring countries.

- According to the World Health Organization, one child dies every 20 seconds from a disease preventable by vaccination

- 151 million vaccines,around $750 million, are lost annually due to improper refrigeration in developing countries

- Lack of adequate ‘cold chains’ major reason for Children in remote regions not being vaccinated

- To offer solutions in over 90 countries

Immunization is one of the most basic and effective health interventions. Unfortunately, one in five children is still deprived of these basic defenses for the most prevalent diseases, particularly in developing countries.Large populations and fragile infrastructures make these children difficult to reach. Many developing countries have inadequate ‘cold chains’ – which means that optimal temperature control mechanismsfor the transport, storage and handling of vaccines are not in place. According to aresearch estimate, approximately 151 million vaccines, equivalent to approximately$750 million, are lost annually due to improper refrigeration in developing countries. {Source : Visible Thinking – Duke Undergraduate research society. http://undergraduateresearch.duke.edu}

Godrej Appliances, one of the leading players in the Home Appliances industry,in partnership with The UK based The Sure Chill Company, has launched the 'Godrej medical refrigerators with Sure Chill technology'. These specialised medical refrigerators have been designed especially to address a key need of providing precise cooling for preserving vaccines used worldwide in immunization programs and for the storage of blood in blood banks. Sure Chill's revolutionary technology helps maintain the optimum temperature range of 2-8degrees- a must for vaccine preservation and blood storage, even in the case of power outagesfor as long as 8-12 days in ambient temperatures of 43˚C, thereby making it a perfect fit for the global immunisation needs. The technology can help save millions of lives across the globe.

Godrej, making its first foray into the healthcare space, has signed a technology transfer agreement with The Sure Chill Company Ltd. (UK) to develop &manufacture these refrigerators for sale in India and neighboring markets covering SAARC and MENA countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, UAE among others.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Jamshyd Godrej, Managing Director and Chairman, Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd said, “Godrej iscommittedtowards improving quality of life in society. Disease eradication through immunization is fundamental to improving quality of life.Depth of coverage and sustenance of immunization programsis key to ward off spread of diseases. Today, nations across the globe are facing challenges in running effective immunization programs. These include supply chain issues, manpower training, inadequate resources/infrastructure, slow adoption of new age cold chain technologiesto name a few. Every year millions of vaccines get wasted due to inadequate storage facilities. Our partnership with the Sure ChillCompanybrings together Godrej’s decades of expertise in refrigeration technology and Sure Chill’s in-depth technical expertise in medical refrigeration, to create a revolutionary product that will help governments across the world in their immunization efforts to save millions of lives. This endeavor brings alive the Make-in-India call voiced by the honorable Prime Minister of India, an ethos Godrej has believed in since inception.”

Sir Richard Feachem, Director of the Global Health Group at UCSF Global Health Sciences, added, "Immunization is the most powerful and cost-effective measure to improve health globally. But many millions of children remain unimmunized, in India and worldwide. To provide effective vaccination requires more than just having the vaccines available. We must also ensure that vaccines are stored and transported at the right temperature to maintain their potency. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), together with WHO, the Gates Foundation and others, have called for the development of new cold chain technology. The breakthrough technology launched by Sure Chill and Godrej is an exciting new innovation which has the potential to save millions of lives."

Mr. Peter Saunders, Chairman, The Sure Chill Company, said, “We are delighted to partner with Godrej Appliances to extend the reach of the Sure Chill technology around the world. We have the potential to save millions of lives. There can be no greater motivation. Traditional cooling technologies simply don’t protect vaccines. They fail when power is lost or often expose vaccines to freezing temperatures when power is available. Resulting in damaged vaccines and compromised immunization programmes around the world.

The Sure Chill technology, which is already used in over 30 countries, creates a natural and internal energy store that is capable of providing a perfect, constantly chilled storage environment in areas where there is an intermittent power supply. And if there is no power at all, as if often the case in regions where vaccines are most needed, then the system can be teamed with solar power with exactly the same results. With over 10 days of cooling in ambient temperatures of 43˚C with no power at all.

Mr. Kamal Nandi, Business Head and EVP, Godrej Appliances, added, "Godrej Appliances has built its expertise in refrigeration over the years.The brand is synonymous with trust and is therefore, best placed to enter a category like medical refrigeration, which delivers critical care. In line with our commitment to a Greener planet we are proud to state that the Godrej medical refrigerators are the world's 1^st and only green ILR’s currently available. Leveraging our core capabilities in the cooling space and our deep understanding of Indian conditions, we have been able to increase the holdover time of the vaccine refrigerators by 30%. We have introduced built in voltage stabilizer and spike guard to take care of voltage fluctuations common to developing countries and also ensured superior performance of the vaccine refrigerator by building in an early intelligent warning system.Our 57 years of existence in the cooling industry coupled with extensive service network in the country positions us to deliver quick and reliable service to this critical healthcare business."

Godrej Sure Chill will be available in two model variants, 100 liters- priced between Rs 1.35 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakhs, and 50 liters-priced between Rs. 65,000 to Rs.75,000. These medical refrigerators meet strict specifications laid down byWHO and are listed as PQS prequalified(Performance, Quality and Safety standards) products on its website.

About Godrej Appliances

The Godrej Group is one of the largest players in the Home Appliances space in India and has always delighted the consumer with relevant technology across a wide range of products. In 1958, Godrej was the First Indian Company to manufacture Refrigerators and has now become synonymous with the category. The company is known for delighting the consumer with innovative, relevant and green technologies. Godrej has created many milestones in the Indian appliance space – be it in the environment/energy efficiency space, including the launch of the first green AC in the world (2012), launch of the first green refrigerator in India (2001), launch of the first 5 star range of refrigerators (2008), launch of the first inverter AC in India (2005), the first refrigerator with 6 Star Performance(2012) or a pure consumer delight space like the launch of the music refrigerator, DAC (Dynamic Aqua Power Control) Technology, Tilt drum and U-Sonic technology in washing machine or Steam Microwave Ovens and Pizza/Kebab makers in Microwave Ovens. In recognition for its efforts, the brand has been conferred with many prestigious awards and honors such as the Consumer Superbrand Award (2011-12, 2013-14), ‘Voice of Consumer’ Award by Frost and Sullivan (2013, 2014), Business Superbrand (2008, 2010, 2011), ET Best Brands (2013-14), ET Promising Brand (2014-15); Consumer Superbrand (2009-10), ‘Most Innovative Company’ by Business Standard (2010), India Design Mark award for Green Balance ACs (2013) and many more. Both the manufacturing units of Godrej Appliances’ - in Shirwal and Mohali became the first and only manufacturing units in the country to be honored with the coveted Platinum Green Co certification for their efforts in green manufacturing.

Godrej’s focus on balancing consumer needs with the environmental cause has enabled the organization to redefine the technology landscape in the appliances industry – to the delight of both the consumer and the environment.

ABOUT SURE CHILL
The Sure Chill Company has developed a completely new approach to refrigeration that radically improves performance and can operate without constant power for days and weeks.

Sure Chill technology is based on the scientific principle that water is at its heaviest at 4°C, which happens also to be the ideal temperature for storing vaccines, fresh food and beverages. The technology harnesses this natural phenomenon to create a constantly chilled environment within the refrigeration unit - whether there is power or not. It is so reliable that it will maintain a completely steady temperature for 10 days or more after power has been interrupted. This is achieved through the movement of dense water at 4°C, generated as the system’s ice bank interacts with warmer water circulating within the unit. Once power has been used to generate the ice bank in the first instance, the Sure Chill technology channels the supply of naturally generated 4°C water to the refrigeration compartment without the need for any further power.

This process can continue until the ice bank, the ultimate generator of the dense water, finally melts and needs to be refrozen, which can take as little as two hours. In effect, the Sure Chill system creates a natural and internal energy store that is capable of providing a perfect, constantly chilled storage environment in areas where there is an intermittent power supply. And if there is no power at all, as if often the case in regions where vaccines are most needed, then the system can be teamed with solar power with exactly the same results.

Vaccines are temperature-sensitive and must be stored at the correct temperature. They are irreversibly damaged by exposure to heat or freezing within the cold chain delivery system and once damaged they are less effective and do not protect fully from disease. Some reports say that this occurs in over 70% of vaccine shipments worldwide. Sure Chill’s technology solves this problem by providing constant reliable cooling without the need for continuous power. It is already saving lives.

The Sure Chill Company, based in Snowdonia, Wales, has attracted support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Welsh Government and this helps in the development of new applications of the innovative technology. This technology is recognized by numerous international agencies including UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

The Sure Chill technology is patent granted in the UK and filings have been placed and are now granting in 88 additional countries worldwide. The Company was formed in February 2003. The Chairman and major investor is UK Business Angel of the Year, Peter Saunders OBE.