Blue Star launches commercial refrigeration products for vaccine storage

Blue Star Limited on Thursdayannounced the launch of a new range of commercialrefrigeration products and solutions which it said are idealfor storing vaccines.

''These comprise specifically designed, temperaturecontrolled refrigerators and transporters, which are integralfor building a robust ecosystem for vaccine distribution inIndia,'' the air conditioning and commercial refrigerationmajor said in a statement.

Ice lined refrigerators (+2C to +8C) are ideal forvaccination programmes due to their ability to maintain adesired temperature even without power for up to as long as 48hours, ensuring lower spoilage of vaccines while in storagethrough ''inevitable'' power cuts, it said.

Vaccine Transporters (+8C to -20C) are ''perfect'' fortransport of vaccines to remote corners of the country sincethey maintain desired low temperatures even while in transitby working off the battery of any four-wheel vehicle, thecompany said.

Blue Star claims a market share of around 60 to 70 percent in the pharmaceutical and healthcare segments in itsaddressed product categories such as modular cold rooms,medical freezers, ultra-low temperature freezers, pharmarefrigerators, and blood bank refrigerators.

Post COVID, Blue Star said it has been witnessing anuptick in demand for its commercial refrigeration products andsolutions, especially from the pharmaceutical and healthcaresegments.

The company also announced the launch of its newtouchless storage water coolers and softpush bottled waterdispensers.

The company, with a capital expenditure of around Rs130 crore, is in the process of setting up a new plant at itsexisting facility at Wada in Maharashtra to expand themanufacturing capacity of its deep freezers and storage watercoolers.

Blue Star Limited's Managing Director, B Thiagarajansaid the need for commercial refrigeration in India isincreasingly becoming vital across industries.

''In fact, compared to the developed countries,commercial refrigeration adoption in India is only at a sub-five per cent level, which translates into huge opportunitiesfor us,'' he said.