Shree Refrigerations Limited (SRL), a leading player in cooling solutions serving the Defence sector, has announced a strategic association with Smardt Chillers Pte Ltd, the global leader in oil-free chillers for data centre cooling solutions. Through this strategic association, SRL will bring state-of-the-art magnetic bearing chiller technology, specially designed for mission-critical data center applications. The MoU was executed through Trezor Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned SRL subsidiary.
Partnering with a leading global player like Smardt aligns with SRL’s broader growth strategy. Speaking on the development, RG Shende, Chairman & Managing Director, Shree Refrigerations Limited, said, “Data centres demand the highest levels of efficiency and uptime. Our association with Smardt allows us to deliver cutting-edge magnetic bearing chiller technology to Indian customers, strengthening our commitment to deliver efficient and reliable cooling solutions for mission-critical infrastructure. Since we already have deep expertise in serving critical sectors, equipping India’s frontline warships and submarines, we are confident of providing tremendous value to the growing data centre segment in India. This milestone marks a significant step forward in SRL’s growth journey, enabling us to expand beyond our established leadership in defence and industrial cooling, into the rapidly growing data centre segment in India.”
Driving Efficiency, Expanding Horizons
According to Shende, this MOU focuses on market-driven cooperation, listening to market and government expectations, and expanding into land-based applications, primarily data centres. From being an early entrant in 2019 in the naval air conditioning segment to market dominance in 2025 with 85% plus market share, similarly, we are keen to duplicate this success in data centre based applications.
This portfolio expansion opens new opportunities beyond SRL’s traditional defence base, adding a strong and scalable growth engine in the commercial cooling segment. Over the next three years, SRL expects this vertical to contribute 10–15% revenues, creating a balanced business mix while unlocking additional growth and margin potential.
Smardt chiller is the global leader in oil-free chillers with more than 10,000 chiller installations worldwide. These chillers, which rely on magnetic bearings instead of oil, deliver substantial power savings and lower maintenance costs. This makes Smardt chillers 20-50% more energy efficient than conventional oil-lubricated chillers, resulting in the lowest power utilization efficiency (PUE) levels—a very important requirement for any data centre today—in the industry.
Shende said, “Data centres are mission critical environments requiring sophisticated cooling technology with high uptime and low downtime, which aligns with SMART’s magnetic bearing oil-free compressor technology.”
Tapping into India’s Booming Data Centre Ecosystem
Highlighting the market opportunity, Derek Chan, Director Data Centers (Asia Pacific), Smardt Chillers Pte Ltd. “India is one of the fastest-growing data centre markets globally and we are delighted to work with Shree Refrigerations to bring our world-class magnetic bearing chiller technology to this market. With SRL’s strong industry presence and technical expertise, we are confident of delivering unmatched value to customers seeking energy-efficient and future-ready cooling solutions.”
Elaborating upon the market strategy for introducing SMART’s chillers to new sectors, Shende said, “The strategy involves focusing on product, price, place, and promotion, participating in industry events like Data Center World.”
SRL has manufactured, installed and commissioned 40+ magnetic bearing chillers in India, demonstrating its expertise in advanced technology. Its entry into the rapidly growing data centre cooling market in India marks a strategic move to cater to more critical sectors in India. By combining Smardt’s cutting-edge global technology, SRL is well-positioned to become a benchmark provider of next-generation cooling solutions along with its proven track record in engineering and service delivery for India’s digital infrastructure. It also positions SRL, through its subsidiary, to play a vital role in building India’s digital infrastructure while aligning with the Government’s vision of energy-efficient, sustainable growth.
