“Better Efficiency. Better Planet.” anchors the evolved AB Series, combining Class 0 oil-free air, efficient performance, closed-loop water management, intelligent operation and lifecycle value for quality-critical industries.

MUMBAI, INDIA, 28 OCTOBER 2026 | GPN, SACHIN MURDESHWAR: Elgi Equipments Limited, a global air compressor manufacturer, today unveiled the next evolution of its AB Series Oil-Free Screw Air Compressors at drinktec India 2026, being held from 28-30 October at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. At the centre of the evolved AB Series is a simple proposition: Better Efficiency. Better Planet.
For ELGi, the two are interconnected.

Better Efficiency is about helping customers produce the compressed air they need while using energy and operating resources more effectively, improving lifecycle economics and supporting reliable production.
Better Planet extends the same engineering philosophy to responsible resource utilisation – through closed-loop water management, efficient energy use, long-life components and technologies designed to make better use of resources throughout the compressor lifecycle.

Better Engineering → Better Efficiency → Better Resource Utilisation → Better Planet

Building on a Legacy of Engineering Innovation

The next evolution of the AB Series builds on ELGi’s long-standing focus on developing differentiated compressed-air technologies. In 2002, ELGi developed the world’s smallest screw air compressor, demonstrating its indigenous compressor design and manufacturing capability to the global industry. In 2019, ELGi showcased the world’s smallest water-injected screw air compressor, developed as a demonstration of the company’s engineering and technology capabilities.

The year 2019 also marked another significant milestone for ELGi when it received the prestigious Deming Prize for excellence in Total Quality Management, becoming the first globally established industrial air compressor manufacturer outside Japan to receive the recognition in over six decades.

More recently, ELGi introduced its patented Demand=Match System, an innovation designed to intelligently match compressed-air delivery to changing plant demand, helping customers reduce unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining stable operation.

Seven years after the global introduction of the AB Series, ELGi is bringing these principles of continuous engineering improvement together under “Better Efficiency. Better Planet.”

“The AB Series has evolved through continuous engineering improvement. Over the years, we have progressively improved motor performance, airend efficiency and overall package design, while strengthening compressor control and remote monitoring. For customers, the outcome is straightforward – Class 0 oil-free compressed air delivered with greater efficiency, smarter resource management and better visibility over operation. ‘Better Efficiency. Better Planet.’ captures this evolution and reflects our belief that responsible industrial performance begins with better engineering,” said Vikas, President & Head – Global Product Management, Elgi Equipments Limited.

Better Efficiency: Turning Engineering into Customer Value

The AB Series has evolved incrementally since its introduction in 2019 through improvements across its motor, airend and overall package design, supported by intelligent compressor management and connected monitoring. Under ELGi’s comparison conditions, the AB Series demonstrates 5-6% better Specific Power Consumption (SPC), helping reduce the energy required to produce compressed air at the defined operating point. The benefit extends beyond energy consumption alone. ELGi’s comparative assessment indicates up to 13% lifecycle-cost benefit over a 40,000-hour lifecycle assessment, considering acquisition, electricity and maintenance costs under the stated comparison assumptions.

The evolved AB Series also incorporates:
• ELGi Motor: An indigenously developed motor optimised for efficient and reliable performance across power ranges and operating conditions.
• Neuron 4 Controller: An advanced controller designed to support reliable compressor operation, sequencing and system management.
• Air~Alert: ELGi’s IoT-enabled remote-monitoring solution, providing greater visibility into operating conditions, performance and maintenance requirements.
• Five-year warranty on key AB Series components, subject to applicable warranty terms and conditions.

For customers operating continuous and quality-critical manufacturing processes, these elements are designed to support improved energy utilisation, operating visibility, reliability and lifecycle economics.

Better Planet: Making Better Use of Resources

At the heart of the AB Series is ELGi’s closed-loop water-injected compression technology, which uses water instead of oil within the compression chamber while delivering Class 0 oil-free compressed air. Water used during compression is circulated within the system, with condensate used for automatic replenishment. This avoids dependence on a continuous open-loop water supply and eliminates the requirement for an external RO system and external water pump associated with the compressor’s closed-loop water circuit. The result is a system designed to make more effective use of water while reducing additional water-treatment infrastructure, associated maintenance requirements and auxiliary power consumption.

Together with improved energy efficiency, intelligent operation and long-life component design, the closed-loop architecture reinforces ELGi’s view that environmental responsibility should come from better engineering and better resource utilisation, rather than from an environmental claim added to the product.

“For food, beverage and dairy manufacturers, Better Efficiency and Better Planet are increasingly part of the same business conversation. Customers need uncompromised compressed-air quality and dependable production, but they are also looking closely at energy consumption, water use, uptime and the cost of keeping their plants running over the life of the equipment. The AB Series brings these priorities together – helping customers manufacture reliably and efficiently while making better use of the resources required to do so,” said Bhavesh Karia, Executive President – ISAAME (India, South Asia, Africa and the Middle East) & SEA (South East Asia), Elgi Equipments Limited.

Supporting India’s Growing Food and Beverage Ecosystem
The AB Series is being showcased against the backdrop of significant growth across several quality-critical industries where compressed air plays an important role in production, processing, packaging and utility operations.
India’s food-processing market, valued at approximately US$382 billion in FY25, is projected to reach about US$689 billion by FY34, reflecting the continued expansion of the country’s processing ecosystem. The Indian dairy market, estimated at approximately US$246.5 billion in 2025, is projected to reach around US$659.8 billion by 2034, supported by the country’s large domestic production base and increasing value-added processing. India’s beer market, valued at approximately US$7.8 billion in 2024, is projected to reach approximately US$15.1 billion by 2030, making breweries another important growth segment for quality-critical compressed-air applications.
Against this growth, manufacturers are increasingly required to balance product quality and food safety with production continuity, energy efficiency, responsible resource use and operating economics. This makes drinktec India – which brings together the beverage, dairy and liquid-food industries – a relevant platform for ELGi to present the next evolution of the AB Series.
Class 0 Air and Certifications for Quality-Critical Applications
For food and beverage manufacturers, compressed-air quality can directly influence process integrity and production reliability. The AB Series delivers ISO 8573 Class 0 oil-free compressed air, supporting applications where oil contamination from the compression process cannot be accepted. The AB platform and ELGi’s manufacturing and management systems are also supported by a range of internationally recognised certifications and regulatory requirements, including: