Copeland, a sustainable climate solutions company, inaugurated its new Engineering and Technology Center in Pune, Maharashtra, as part of its broader INR 5 billion India investment plan.

The company aims to leverage India’s STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) talent pool and aligned with the country’s ambition to become a global innovation hub. It aims to strengthen its innovation ecosystem with engineering labs spanning 9 countries in order to advance its engineering and R&D efforts locally and globally.

For the automotive industry, Copeland provides cargo management solutions with refrigeration expertise that supports cold chain logistics.

The Pune facility will see over 320 engineers across engineering, R&D, software and firmware development focus on innovation and product development, along with providing agility to respond to market requirements.

Ross B Shuster, CEO, Copeland, said, "Copeland’s presence in India spans over three decades. Our current investment plan, including this investment in our new state-of-the-art Pune Engineering and Technology Center, as well as the in-progress expansion of our manufacturing operations in Atit, underscore our commitment to the India market. With more than 15 percent of our global engineering team located in India, the local team plays a vital role in developing sustainability-focused technologies and products for both local and global customers. As global demand for sustainable solutions continues to rise, this new Engineering and Technology Center will focus on advancing energy-efficient and low-GWP and natural refrigerant technologies for global deployments across the HVAC and Refrigeration industry.”

Patrick Forsythe, CTO, Copeland, said, "Innovation is in Copeland's DNA, and our new Pune Technology and Engineering Center further enables our efforts to solving some of the world’s most complex climate challenges. We have a longstanding track record as an industry steward and continue our commitment to support regulatory compliance and global sustainability objectives. This investment will enhance Copeland's focus on innovation to help customers meet their net-zero goals and drive impactful change.”

The Pune tech centre will support demand for innovative and sustainable heating, cooling, cold chain and industrial solutions.

Zuno General Insurance (formerly Edelweiss General Insurance), a new-age digital insurer, has introduced Zuno SmartDrive, which now makes its core motor insurance product come with its innovative Pay-How-You-Drive (PHYD) feature as default.

This the company claims makes it the first insurer in India to offer mobile telematics embedded in car insurance, which incentivises customers to drive safer.

Under the scheme, a Zuno motor insurance policyholder will get access to a personalised, reward-driven pricing based on their actual driving behaviour. They will be able to track their driving score through mobile telematics that is embedded in the Zuno app.

The company expects its tech-savvy customers in the 24-45 age bracket will benefit the most. The customer’s score will be determined on the customers actual driving incorporating speed, braking and distracted driving behaviour. A customer with a good score will get a lower premium and vice-versa.

Shanai Ghosh, MD & CEO, Zuno General Insurance, said, “By incorporating Pay-How-You-Drive in our Zuno SmartDrive motor cover policy, we are empowering customers with greater control over their premiums while encouraging safer driving by linking pricing to safe driving habits. This initiative reinforces our commitment to providing our policyholders with an easy, friendly and transparent experience while also contributing to safer roads for everyone. With Zuno SmartDrive, we're not only reimagining insurance but also promoting safer driving practices by incentivising safe driving behaviour. For us, this isn't just insurance; it's a commitment to innovation, transparency, and a safer tomorrow.”

Returning for the 2025 season and 75th anniversary year this weekend, the Formula 1 sport has released a round-up on the progress made towards its sustainability and social commitments last year. In the form of 2024 Impact Report, which will be released later this year, the progress made towards its sustainability and social commitments with Net Zero as the goal for 2030, the Formula 1 sport has – on the environmental front – made significant investments in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as part of its ultra-efficient logistics strategy. 
It has invested significantly in SAF as it delivers an estimated 80 percent reduction in associated carbon emissions per flight compared to the use of conventional aviation fuel. The combined investment in SAF with Global Partners DHL and Qatar Airways reduced total related emissions by more than 8,000 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), an approximate 19 percent reduction in related emissions– compared to traditional aviation fuel – for the air freight charter programme operated by Formula 1 across the flyaway events of the 2024 season.
The delivery of innovative low-carbon energy generation systems using renewable sources such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), biofuel, solar panels, and battery began testing in 2023. Last year, they were used at the Red Bull Ring, the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. For the 2025 season, a programme will be rolled out to reduce more than 90 percent of carbon emissions at all European Grands Prix in key areas such as the Paddock, Pit Lane, and Event Technical Centre. 
As part of the sport’s ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions associated with travel and logistics, improvements were made to the geographical flow of races around the world in 2024. This included agreement from the Promoter in Japan to move the Suzuka race back from September to April to fit with the Asia Pacific segment of the schedule, while Azerbaijan took its slot to align with Singapore. The organisers of the Qatar Grand Prix also approved a move to the penultimate spot in the schedule, back-to-back with Abu Dhabi. From 2026 the Canadian Grand Prix will be hosted earlier in the year and the Monaco Grand Prix will take place on the first full weekend in June, consolidating the European leg of the F1 season into one period, removing an additional transatlantic crossing and delivering significant associated carbon reductions. 
Last year, F2 and F3 cars ran on 55 percent Aramco advanced sustainable fuel and the FIA medical and safety cars operated on 40 percent of it. In 2025, the F2 and F3 cars will move to 100 percent use of it, ahead of the Formula 1 cars adopting the fuels in 2026 in the new hybrid engines that will take to the circuit next year. 
The technology has implications for the automotive industry and existing petrol cars, as the fuel developed by Formula 1 will be a ‘drop-in’ that can be used in road cars without modification and will serve as a sustainable alternative of global benefit. 
Throughout the 2024 season, the cars all operated with FSC approved Pirelli tyres, which means the natural rubber in the type complies with the FSC’s strict standards for sustainable forestry. Some 80 percent of promoters powered aspects of their events using alternative energy sources such as solar panels, green tariffs, and biofuels. Over 90 precent of promoters began offering greener ways to travel to the race.
On the social commitments front, the Formula 1 sport – in 2024 season – marked the fourth year of its F1 Engineering Scholarships programme, which would support 50 underrepresented students by the end of 2025. The Scholarship covers the entire cost of the student’s tuition, together with living expenses for the full duration of their degree, enabling them to focus on their studies. It also offers them support to set them up for their careers, including work experience with one of the ten Formula 1 teams, as well as career workshops and mentoring. 
Formula 1 also launched the global education programme ‘Learning Sectors’ in collaboration with the British Council to inspire young learners in Brazil, India, South Africa, and the UK to pursue STEM subjects. The year long programme kicks off this year with 130,000 students in 700 schools. 
F1 Academy, the sport’s female-only series, competed alongside Formula 1 at seven events last year, completing 21 races. Through F1 Academy’s partnership with the international karting series, Champions of the Future, female participation in racing increased from five percent in 2023 to 25 percent in 2024. 
The sport also continued with hosting apprenticeships and workshops, such as The Next Grand Prix challenge in association with the Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP) charity, which challenges students aged between 16 and 18 from a breadth of backgrounds to assume a business leadership role and deliver a fictional bid for a new Formula One World Championship location. 
Ellen Jones, Head of ESG at Formula 1, said, “Innovation and community drove Formula 1's work in 2024. We are thrilled to outline our progress and continued work in this space. Formula 1 as a sport is uniquely positioned to take action through our global reach and technological leadership.”
 
 
 

American computer technology company Sandisk has introduced what it claims is industry's first automotive grade UFS4.1 interface device – Sandisk iNAND AT EU752 UFS4.1 Embedded Flash Drive (EFD).

This not only strengthens its product portfolio but also supports the automotive industry by enabling faster and secure access to data.

The company's solution will support the requirements of Software Defined Vehicles (SDV), which use high volumes of data along with more frequent over-the-air (OTA) updates. The UFS4.1 interface enables software updates to happen faster.

The new solution is said to provide 2x the performance of Sandisk’s UFS3.1 device and double the capacity previously available in the market. The Sandisk iNAND AT EU752 UFS4.1 is available with upto 1TB of storage space.

Key features of the product include – health status reporting to prevent potential system failures while the vehicle is operating; fast boot replaces the need for a separate NOR device; the fast boot is also critical for safety systems such as rearview camera systems that need to be operational within two seconds.

The UFS4.1 has a claimed write speed of upto 3,900 MBPS and 4,200 MBPS of read speed.

Representational image courtesy: Erik Mclean/Pexels 

Uber, one of India’s leading ride-hailing platforms, is introducing pet-friendly (dogs, cats and other pets) ride options for customers in Delhi and Mumbai under ‘Uber Pet’.

The company first introduced the Uber Pet option in Bengaluru last year, which is now being extended to two more cities. This will allow customers who wish to travel with their pets to book a cab on-demand or reserve a ride in advance. Uber has also partnered with Heads Up for Tails, a pet care brand, to provide special discounts for customers booking their rides to the store.

Shweta Mantri, Head, Rider Verticals, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We’re excited to bring Uber Pet to Delhi and Mumbai, offering even more flexibility for pet owners to travel with their furry friends. After listening to the feedback from pet parents, we’re now offering the option to book Uber Pet on-demand, making travel with your pets easier than ever. Our collaboration with Heads Up for Tails ensures that pet parents have an even more enjoyable experience, with great perks at HUFT stores. Together, we’re making travel with pets not just easier, but more fun too!”

Rashi Sanon Narang, Founder, Heads Up For Tails, added, “At Heads Up For Tails, we’ve always believed that pets are family, and every pet parent deserves a seamless, joyful experience when stepping out with their furry family. We’re delighted to join forces with Uber Pet to bring pet-friendly travel to new heights in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Our partnership is all about enhancing the pet parent experience – from seamless rides with Uber Pet to exclusive in-store perks that make every journey more rewarding. Together, we're committed to making every adventure with your pets safe, fun, and effortless!”