Flags to fly high with Elgi’s technology

Coimbatore based Elgi Equipments has developed a technology that will enable flags to fly high even on zero wind days

A core five member in-house team that worked for close to three years, experimenting technical concepts and spending nearly ₹ 2 crores, has delivered Project Tiranga at Coimbatore-based Elgi Equipments.

“This (project) is a national pride,” Jairam Varadaraj, Managing Director of Elgi, told presspersons here on Friday.

The genesis for the project was sighting of the massive national flag (60 ft by 90 ft) at Connaught Place in New Delhi drooping on a low-wind day. As an air compressor company that aspires to be among the global top three in another decade, Elgi called on its India-based employees to develop a technology that will enable the flag to fly high on any day, even at zero wind conditions.

“Technology is the central pillar for the strategy of Elgi,” Mr. Varadaraj said.

Its employees competed with one another in teams to come out with multiple concepts that will keep the flags flying on a mast, irrespective of the wind velocity. The one that will be viable and meet all the challenges was selected and developed, tested in a 20-storeyed building, and finally executed.

At the Kinathukadavu plant of Elgi stands a 110 feet mast with an Indian flag that is 60 feet by 40 feet in size. A system powered by solar energy will keep the flag flying even if the wind velocity drops to less than two metres per second. It will shut off automatically if the wind picks up. The system, which consumes 12 KW power, also detects the wind direction, ensures that the flag does not get entangled, and is easy for raising and lowering of the flag.

“The system can be customised according to the height of the mast and the size of the flag. We do not plan to commercialise this technology. We will share it will anyone who wants to implement it anywhere in the country,” he said.