Archive · 26 Aug 2026
IIT Delhi Engineer Develops Battery-Powered Refrigeration for Trucks
A lot of food in India can spoil before it reaches consumers because it is not kept cold enough.
Refrigerated trucks usually use the truck’s diesel engine to power their cooling systems.
That means the engine may need to keep running even when the truck is stopped.
Shaivee Malik and two former IIT Delhi teammates created Yotuh Energy to address this problem.
Their cooling unit uses its own lithium-ion battery instead of the truck engine.
It can keep food cold when the engine is off or the truck breaks down.
Sensors notice when the truck doors open and adjust the cooling.
The company says the system can lower cooling costs by about 75 percent.
It can run for roughly six to eight hours on one charge and can be installed on diesel or electric trucks.
Shaivee Malik and two former IIT Delhi Formula Student teammates founded Yotuh Energy in 2022.
The startup developed a lithium-ion battery-powered refrigeration unit that operates independently of a truck’s engine.
The system continues cooling while trucks are stopped, switched off, or broken down, and sensors adjust cooling when doors open.
Yotuh Energy says the unit can reduce refrigeration running costs by about 75% and operate for six to eight hours per charge.
The company has raised about ₹1.53 crore, received grants, and signed customers associated with Amul ice cream and McCain frozen foods.
- Who
- Shaivee Malik, Vivek Mahindrakar and Dharmik Bapodara, the founders of Yotuh Energy.
- What
- They developed an engine-independent, battery-powered refrigeration system for transport trucks.
- When
- Yotuh Energy was founded in 2022; the innovation was highlighted in an X post on August 22, 2026.
- Where
- The company was registered in Delhi and later moved to Chennai for incubation at IIT Madras.
- Why
- The founders sought to reduce food losses, diesel use and emissions associated with conventional refrigerated transport in India.
- Company
- Yotuh Energy
- Founders
- Shaivee Malik, Vivek Mahindrakar and Dharmik Bapodara
- Founded
- 2022
- Power source
- Independent lithium-ion battery
- Operating time
- Approximately six to eight hours per charge
- Claimed cost reduction
- About 75% in refrigeration running costs
- Funding and grants
- About ₹1.53 crore raised, along with government grants
- Customers
- Distributors associated with Amul ice cream and McCain frozen foods
