UFI Filters, a global filtration technology and thermal management player, launched the SOFIMA D+FEND cabin filter in the Indian market. Around 25 percent of the new filter was developed at the company’s R&D facility in New Delhi. The new filter is composed of a non-woven fabric filter media which incorporates silver ions in addition to copper ions. ​

The company claims the filter guarantees a 99.5 percent neutralisation rate for viruses and 99.9 percent for bacteria. It is certified according to ISO 11155-1:2001 standard having filtration efficiency of more than 95 percent of aerosol particles which dimension equal to 0.3 microns. Keeping the pandemic in mind, the company will present its products in the aftermarket first, as the density of cars are much higher. They are also in discussion with few other OEMs.  

Luca Betti, Aftermarket Business Unit Director, UFI Filters Group “The design of the fibres were developed in India, and the recipe was created in Italy. So it is a joint procedure.”

Adding to his statement, Hridesh Sharma, CEO, UFI Filters India, said, “This is a very R&D specific development. This has got a special division called the UFI innovation centre which operates from Italy. All the analysis that was needed to develop was done in the Indian R&D. They are the backbone.” 

In India, the company has come up with 21 different cabin filters for medium- and high-end cars. Some of the major cars that their products will be compatible with are Maruti Suzuki’s Ciaz, Dzire, Swift; Volkswagen’s Polo and Mahindra’s XUV 500.

The company has three research and development centres across the world and allocates around five percent of its revenue to R&D.