India Launches Country’s First Star Labeling Program for Evaporative Coolers

India just took a big step toward cleaner, more affordable cooling. A new labeling program for evaporative coolers promises major energy and emissions savings.

In May 2025, India published its first star labeling program for evaporative coolers under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)’s voluntary Standards & Labeling (S&L) program. This landmark policy sets minimum energy efficiency ratio benchmarks and introduces a 1–5 star rating system to help consumers identify high-performing models.

Voluntary labeling will begin in July 2025, with a mandatory phase set to follow by July 2026. The transition from voluntary to mandatory within approximately 12 months is significantly faster than the typical 2–3-year cycle. This swift implementation underscores the commitment of the Ministry of Power and BEE to expanding the S&L program to include cooling appliances.

Evaporative coolers are an affordable and energy-efficient cooling solution, especially well-suited for hot and dry regions like North and Central India. Consuming up to 75% less electricity than air conditioners and using water instead of refrigerants, these appliances are both environmentally friendly and accessible—particularly for low- and middle-income households in semi-urban and rural areas.

Aligned with international best practices, the policy is estimated to save 12.91 billion units of energy and reduce CO₂ emissions by 9 million metric tons between 2025 and 2033.

CLASP provided technical assistance to BEE in policy development and supported the creation of national standards for evaporative coolers, which formed the foundation of this policy.