How A.T.E. Group is helping the food and beverage industry balance efficiency, sustainability, and trust.
Introduction: A New Era for F&B
Walk into any supermarket today and you’ll notice a quiet revolution. Shoppers are no longer looking only at taste, price, or shelf life. They want to know: how was this made? how sustainable is the company behind it?
For food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers, this shift is reshaping business. Sustainability is no longer just a compliance checkbox; it’s a business driver, an innovation catalyst, and a brand differentiator.
It’s also a sphere in which the A.T.E. Group has carved out a distinctive role — helping F&B companies future-proof their operations by reimagining how they manage water and air.
The Sustainability Challenge
Few products touch people’s lives as directly as food and beverages. But the sector also faces intense sustainability challenges:
- Water stress: Processing, cleaning, and cooling consume vast amounts of freshwater, often discharged untreated.
- Energy demand: Cooling systems, air handling, and wastewater treatment plants are major energy guzzlers.
- Compliance pressure: Stricter environmental regulations and ESG reporting are no longer optional.
- Consumer expectations: Growing demand for climate-friendly and resource-efficient brands.
The challenge for F&B? To do more with less — less water, less energy, less waste — while still meeting growing demands.
How A.T.E. is Partnering with the Industry
With over 85 years of engineering legacy, A.T.E. has evolved into a solutions partner for sustainability. For food and beverage manufacturers, its innovations focus on two critical pillars:
- Smarter Wastewater Management
A.T.E. HUBER Envirotech (A.T.E. HUBER), a joint venture between A.T.E. India and HUBER SE Germany, is a leading provider of sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. With 300+ installations across sectors such as food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and petroleum, A.T.E. HUBER has built a strong reputation for innovation, reliability, and environmental stewardship—both in India and internationally.
In the food and beverage sector, where hygiene, efficiency, and sustainability are critical, A.T.E. HUBER’s biological wastewater treatment systems offer a compelling alternative to conventional chemical-based methods. A.T.E. HUBER conducts up to a 28-day batch reactor test to assess effluent characteristics, which helps to determine the optimum biological treatment for complex industrial wastewater. Its AVR-HDF® technology reduces chemical usage, energy consumption, and sludge generation, while cutting plant footprint by up to 30%. It also achieves COD reduction of up to 90%, helping manufacturers meet regulatory and ESG goals with lower operational costs. A.T.E. HUBER’s sludge dryers, engineered using three years of geographical data (including monsoon, summer, and winter conditions), can dry sludge up to 90% making it easy to reuse. This approach also avoids accumulation of wet sludge during the monsoon. Trusted by brands like Haldiram’s, Chitale Dairy, Gokul Dairy, Swami Chicken and Purity Agro Ventures, A.T.E. HUBER gets a majority of its business from repeats and referrals, reflecting strong customer confidence.
- Energy-Efficient Air Cooling
HMX, a business unit of the A.T.E. Group, is a pioneer in energy-efficient cooling solutions, especially using Indirect Direct Evaporative Cooling (IDEC). HMX IDEC systems deliver 100% fresh air and do not use harmful refrigerants, while consuming up to 60% less energy than conventional HVAC systems.
In the F&B sector, where air quality, hygiene, and energy efficiency are paramount, HMX’s IDEC and Hybrid AHUs offer a reliable and sustainable solution. HMX-IDEC reduces air contamination risks since it uses 100% fresh air and hence supports compliance with food safety standards.
HMX systems are designed for long-term sustainability. They use recyclable materials and replaceable parts which support circular economy goals.
HMX products have been awarded the prestigious CII GreenPro Ecolabel, a mark that certifies them as environmentally friendly. For F&B manufacturers, this means a cooling solution that saves energy, cuts carbon emissions, and is officially recognised as a sustainable choice.
Trusted by brands like Haldiram’s, Milky Mist, Coca-cola, Balaji Wafers, Al-Marai, Al-Romansiah, Parle, Pepsico and many more, HMX too has many repeat orders from its happy customers.
Case in point
Haldiram Group — a household name in Indian snacks and sweets — is an impactful example of what A.T.E. can do for a customer with a progressive mindset in the F&B sector .
At Haldiram’s Nagpur facility, A.T.E. HUBER installed two effluent treatment plants, each designed to handle 1,500 m³/day using AVR-HDF® technology. These plants consistently achieve 85–90% COD reduction and 90% BOD reduction. Together, they generate around 187.5 m³/hr of biogas—enough to fuel boilers, kitchens, and other utilities—delivering savings of ₹4.5 million every month.
To improve comfort and air quality, Haldiram introduced 25 customised HMX units, combining IDEC and Direct Evaporative Cooling (DEC), to ventilate 400,000 sq. ft. of production space with a total air volume of 635,000 CFM. Even when outdoor temperatures climb past 45°C, the system maintains a cool, hygienic environment inside. The result? Better worker comfort, higher productivity, enhanced safety, lower energy consumption, and minimal maintenance. Encouraged by the success at Nagpur, Haldiram has replicated the solution at its Noida–Delhi plant.
Building a Responsible Future
As the food and beverage industry sharpens its focus on sustainability, water and air management are becoming central to long-term strategy. By helping manufacturers reduce waste, conserve energy, and improve workplace comfort, A.T.E. is not just supporting compliance — it’s strengthening consumer trust and enabling the industry to build facilities that are greener, smarter, and future-ready.
At the heart of this journey lies A.T.E.’s core value: partnering people and planet. For food and beverage companies, it means more than just technology — it means a partner who understands that business success and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand.
Let’s work together to make your food and beverage operations smarter and greener!
Connect with us: www.atehuber.com | www.hmx.co.in | Email: [email protected]
