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Time Business News
01-07-2025
- Health
- Time Business News
Indoor Air Quality Solutions Gain Traction
Increase in inadequate ventilation and indoor are caused by the inadequate ventilation and indoor pollutants as these are major factors for indoor pollution such as particulate matter along with particles in the air. The air quality within and around buildings and structures, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Reasonable growth factors consist of rising awareness of the impact by poor air quality on health along with stringent regulations and growing pollution. With urbanization and industrialization, both outdoor and indoor pollution are driving the need for IAQ solutions. Key Growth Drivers and Opportunities Rising Consumer Awareness: The market for solutions including air purifiers is being driven in significant measure by growing public awareness of the negative impact that poor indoor air quality has on allergies, respiratory health, and general health. Individuals and families are searching ways to improve their indoor environment and prevent the respiratory illness due to indoor air pollution. High awareness of allergens such as dust mites and pet dander can lead to respiratory health concerns such as allergies and asthma. Healthcare professionals are empowering people for taking proactive health measures such as air purifiers to mitigate the potential risks. Smart Home Automation: As public knowledge of energy efficiency, comfort, and health grows better, the integration of smart home technology with indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring systems is accelerating. Such advanced gadgets are able to communicate with air purifiers, HVAC systems, and smart thermostats to automatically modify temperature, ventilation, and filtration in line with real-time air quality data. Consumers are growingly prioritizing the well-focused living spaces, this shift towards smart technologies and IAQ is potential in modern homes. Challenges Advanced IAQ monitoring and purification technologies, such as cost-effective and Internet of Things-enabled systems, may have high upfront costs. This can be an important barrier, particularly in nations with poor infrastructure where people are extremely sensitive to pricing. Mitigating such challenges will need cost-effective advancements, education for consumers and supportive policy to fuel further market expansion. Innovation and Expansion Axis launches its first environmental sensors, indoor air quality sensors to support cost-effective air quality monitoring In April 2025, Axis Communication AB has announced AXIS D6210 Air Quality Sensor and AXIS D6310 Air Quality Sensor, the company's first environmental sensors. The new sensors seamlessly integrate with existing Axis solutions to monitor multiple indoor air quality parameters, enabling efficient and appropriate response to indoor air quality issues, including vaping and smoking, and the proactive management and optimization of air quality in almost any indoor environment. Panasonic Introduces OASYS, a New Whole Home Air Quality Management Solution In January 2025, Panasonic Introduces OASYS, a New Whole Home Air Quality Management Solution to Support Homeowners' Comfort and Peace-of-Mind. OASYS is a holistic home comfort solution created for modern, high-performance homes this new approach to HVAC supports the comfort and wellbeing of families in their home environment with greater energy efficiency and cost saving advantages compared to traditional systems. Health Prevention, Expanding Markets The key players operating the indoor air quality market include Honeywell International Inc., 3M, Carrier, Daikin, Johnson Controls., TRANE, Lennox International Inc., LG Electronics, Panasonic Canada Inc, Sharp Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., SAMSUNG, Dyson, Blueair, and IQAIR. Companies in the market for nutraceutical ingredients seek to create extremely efficient, scientifically supported formulations to promote wellness and health prevention. About Author: Prophecy is a specialized market research, analytics, marketing and business strategy, and solutions company that offer strategic and tactical support to clients for making well-informed business decisions and to identify and achieve high value opportunities in the target business area. Also, we help our client to address business challenges and provide best possible solutions to overcome them and transform their business. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Cooling our cities is a social necessity, not just climate action
The summer of 2025 ushers in a perilous new normal as India's cities endure relentless heat, with Delhi scorching to 41.3 °C and Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Lucknow facing similar extremes. Over 35% of India's population now lives in urban areas, a figure set to surpass 40% by 2030, where urban nights remain up to 7 °C hotter than surrounding rural areas. Heat stress jeopardises 34 million outdoor jobs by 2030 and threatens economic losses of $450 billion by 2050. While advanced solutions like super cool material coatings on rooftops paired with urban greenery can slash rooftop temperatures by 40 °C and ambient temperature by 4 to 6 °C, but only comprehensive, city-scale interventions can decisively combat this escalating climate emergency. Emerging technologies offer new frontiers for fighting urban heat. Artificial intelligence (AI)–powered heat mitigation strategies are beginning to show promise globally and India must not lag behind. AI-powered predictive models, trained on vast datasets of urban temperature profiles, land use patterns, population densities, and infrastructure characteristics, can forecast heatwave risks with high spatial resolution and suggest dynamic cooling interventions in real time. Deployment of Internet of Things–based environmental sensors measuring temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and air quality across urban landscapes can feed real time data into high performance computing tools. These tools, using machine learning and simulation algorithms, can generate heat stress forecasts, optimise cooling infrastructure deployment, and inform emergency response strategies. The integration of predictive analytics and Internet of Things-enabled environmental monitoring can transform India's capacity to preempt and manage urban heat challenges. The concept of the urban digital twin unlocks even greater possibilities. An urban digital twin is a virtual replica of a city that integrates real time data feeds from sensors, weather stations, satellite imagery, and citizen inputs. Using a digital twin, city planners and policymakers can simulate the impact of different heat mitigation measures before implementing them on the ground. For instance, they can model how much a citywide programme of super cool roofs could reduce energy consumption, how planting 10,000 street trees could lower neighbourhood temperatures, or how new building designs could enhance airflow and cooling. Also Read: India witnessing severe climate impact on Himalayan region: Bhupender Yadav Austin, Singapore, Dubai, and Helsinki have already pioneered urban digital twins, and Indian cities must now invest in developing indigenous digital twin frameworks to future proof urban resilience against extreme heat and other climate shocks. In this context, the role of urban heat early warning systems becomes critical. Timely alerts based on high-resolution temperature forecasts and real time monitoring can save lives and protect livelihoods. Early warnings must go beyond technical advisories and must be accompanied by clearly defined action protocols such as establishing cooling shelters, restricting outdoor working hours, providing free hydration points, and ensuring rapid medical responses. Heat health action plans developed in cities like Ahmedabad provide a blueprint, but such systems must now become standard across all Indian metropolitan and tier-II cities. Integrated urban heat alert platforms accessible via smartphones and public information systems can ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable are not left behind when the mercury rises. Urban design must become data-driven. Climate responsive infrastructure must no longer be an afterthought but a first principle. Data driven design strategies, incorporating findings from Internet of Things sensor networks, urban climate models, and digital twin simulations, can enable the construction of shaded corridors, optimised street layouts, passive ventilation structures, and buildings oriented to maximise natural cooling. Codes for building materials, roof types, fenestration, and urban greening must be rooted in empirical thermal performance data rather than aesthetic or cost considerations alone. Investment in data-driven design capacity, including artificial intelligence based urban planning platforms and decision support systems, will be critical to equip Indian cities to survive and thrive in an era of rising heat. Beyond technological interventions, cities must reintroduce nature into the urban fabric. Increasing tree canopies, creating shaded public spaces, restoring wetlands and rivers, and integrating green roofs and vertical gardens into buildings can help lower urban temperatures. Also Read: Health implications of climate crisis in India Mumbai's efforts to protect its remaining mangroves, Chennai's restoration of marshlands, and Pune's initiatives to integrate green corridors offer hopeful examples. However, these efforts remain piecemeal. What is needed is a systemic, nationwide urban policy that mandates the preservation and expansion of green infrastructure as critical urban assets, on par with roads, water supply, and energy. Crucially, urban heat mitigation must be inclusive. The voices of low income and marginalised communities must be included in designing interventions. Cooling centres, shaded public spaces, access to clean drinking water, and heat health advisories must be accessible to all. Investing in urban cooling is not just an act of environmental stewardship, it is an act of social justice. It ensures that the benefits of urbanisation do not remain confined to the privileged few but extend to all city residents. The India Cooling Action Plan is a strategic initiative designed to meet the rising demand for cooling in India while promoting sustainable and energy efficient approaches. The plan sets a target to decrease the overall cooling demand by 20 to 25% and refrigerant usage by 25 to 30% by the year 2037-38. Additionally, it emphasises the reduction of cooling energy needs by 25 to 40% and encourages advancements in research on cooling technologies and solutions. Also Read: Tropical forest loss doubles, fire a leading cause: Report India's ambition to lead the global economy must be matched by an ambition to lead in building climate resilient cities. The summer of 2025 must not become another footnote in a series of preventable disasters. It must become the catalyst for a new urban imagination—one where cooling, equity, innovation, and resilience are the core pillars of development. Super cool roofs, greener cities, artificial intelligence powered predictive models, urban digital twins, Internet of Things enabled environmental monitoring, robust early warning systems, better building codes, and data driven design strategies are not just desirable ideas. They are essential foundations for a sustainable, thriving urban India. Ansar Khan is an Assistant Professor of Geography at Lalbaba College, University of Calcutta. Khan's work incorporates simulation and numerical modeling of tropical climatic events. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
New Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Ferrotec starts work on second plant, total investment hits RM1.9bil
KUALA LUMPUR: Ferrotec Holdings Corporation has held a groundbreaking ceremony of its second high-tech manufacturing facility at Kulim, Kedah, with an investment of RM1 billion. This brings the company's total investment in Malaysia to RM1.9 billion, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the country and its growing role in the global semiconductor industry. Scheduled for completion within a year, the facility will strengthen Ferrotec's footprint in the region, enabling faster delivery, enhanced customer service and greater innovation for global markets across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Ferrotec Manufacturing Malaysia managing director Anzhi He said the second facility plant reflects the confidence in Malaysia's thriving semiconductor ecosystem. "This plant is not just bigger, it is smarter. Powered by Industry 4.0 technologies, it embodies Ferrotec's vision for a modern factory where machines learn, adapt and collaborate with human ingenuity," he said in a statement. He added the company is working alongside the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Kulim Technology Park Corporation Sdn Bhd and the Kedah state government in developing the fast-growing digital economy. MIDA chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said Ferrotec's continued expansion in Malaysia underscores the country's position as a premier destination for high-tech investments in the semiconductor industry. "This commitment not only reflects investor confidence in our policies, infrastructure and talent, but also reinforces our ambition to become a regional leader in advanced manufacturing. "MIDA is proud to support Ferrotec's journey as it strengthens the global semiconductor value chain from the heart of Kedah. We look forward to even greater collaboration as Malaysia advances its New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and fosters innovation-driven, sustainable growth," he added. The new factory covers nearly one million square feet on 8.09 hectares and houses over 700 computer numerical control machines, smart production lines and Internet of Things-enabled systems with predictive maintenance. The plant is expected to create more than 1,000 high-value jobs and boost Ferrotec's precision manufacturing for semiconductor components.
