MeitY's R&D Institute SAMEER transfers technology for Sugar Content Measurement to two private entities

Mumbai, August 10, 2024

Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), a R&D Institute of MeitY, Government of India, signed a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement for Microwave based insitu BRIX measurement system with Toshniwal Hyvac Pvt. Ltd. and Sir Automation Industries to enable manufacturing of this system in large numbers. The Technology Transfer took place in presence of Secretary, MeitY, Shri S Krishnan, in Mumbai today.

This state of the art technology of Sugar COntent MeasuREment (SCORE) system is transferred to the two private industry partners to enable manufacturing of this system in large numbers. The innovative Microwave-Based Brix Measurement System, designed and developed by SAMEER, offers a rapid, non-destructive, and accurate method for measuring insitu sugar concentration (Brix) in sugar mills during the production of sugar. This cutting-edge technology eliminates the need for manual sampling and enables reducing production time.

This initiative is part of PM’s vision of Jai Jawan (Soldier), Jai Kisan (Farmer), Jai Vigyan(Science), Jai Anusandhan (Research) – “जय जवान, जय किसान, जय विज्ञान, जय अनुसंधान”, to build indigenous technologies to support sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan) and associated sugar production Industry in India.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, MeitY said that the microwave based Brix measurement technology built by SAMEER helps sugarcane farmers to produce sugar cane syrup more accurately and efficiently. He further highlighted that priority for MeitY is to develop indigenous technologies with own IP and in all sectors of ICT including agriculture. Through R&D initiatives of the Ministry, the technologies/products developed by SAMEER will provide ease of living, safety, energy saving, reduce carbon foot print etc. He congratulated SAMEER’s scientists for their efforts in building Microwave based compact cost effective BRIX meter for sugar industry. These solutions are designed and developed keeping in view Indian specific scenarios. The Secretary urged that R&D Institutes like SAMEER are providing an opportunity for use of retrofitting technology in traditional industries.

Director General of SAMEER, Dr. P. Hanumantha Rao, said that it is a milestone achievement in the journey of SAMEER’s efforts in the application of microwaves for agricultural and Industrial food processing sector of India. He added that SAMEER has been pursuing R&D in the advanced Radio Frequency (RF) and microwave research programs funded by MeitY, Government of India. The developed technology under “Make in India” initiative will help the sugarcane farmers with Enhanced Production Efficiency and high Accuracy on BRIX. Technology Transfer of “Microwave Based Brix Measurement System”, is a significant milestone in the project’s journey. This event marks the successful transfer of cutting-edge technology from SAMEER research team to industry partners and stakeholders, for innovative applications and impact. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the sugar industry, he added.

The testing and trials for the BRIX technology was carried out at Shri Sant Tukaram Sugar Factory at Pune and also validated by Vasant Dada Sugar Institute at Pune.

Dignitaries present on the occasion included Prof R. Prakash from Anna University, Chennai, who headed the Project Review and Steering Group for this technology; Dr. R. V. Dani, Technical Adviser and Head, Sugar Technology Division of VSI, Smt. Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator, R&D, MeitY, representatives of the two private manufacturing firms and the senior scientists of SAMEER.

About Microwave-Based Brix Measurement System:

Inline sugar concentration measurement technology has huge potential in other food and beverage industries be it dairy, brewery, fruit juices, confectionary. In the era of health conscious society, reliable sugar content measurement is very crucial since this information has to be mandatorily mentioned on the package for the consumer. The developed technology provides ideal solution for this requirement.

About SAMEER:

The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) is a premier R&D institution under the administrative control of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. SAMEER specializes in the research, development and commercialization of microwave electronics, electromagnetic technology and related areas.