Evolution Journey of Kone Elevator India

Early Days

KONE has an extraordinary history. The parent company has been through and come above world wars and economic downfalls and has now come to become a leading example of innovation and culture. It all began from a machine repair shop called Tarmo which was present in Helsinki, Finland's capital. Tarmo was incorporated as KONE on the Oct. 27, 1910. 

The first few products and services of KONE consisted of electric motors repair, refurbishing and selling used Strömberg motors under the KONE name along with the import and installation of elevators from Graham Brothers in Sweden. KONE's offering at one point in time, also ranged from industrial cranes to emergency room patient monitors, ice-skate blades, and nylon socks. The first elevator made of components produced by KONE was launched in 1918 and was installed in the Helsinki area.

KONE entered India in 1984 when it formed a joint venture called Beacon KONE with Best & Crompton engineering. In 1987, Beacon KONE opened its first factory in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In 1992 KONE purchased Best & Crompton's share in Beacon KONE and KONE India thus became a 100% subsidiary of the KONE Corporation.

Ever since then, KONE has proven its ability to adapt to challenges as a result of which it has seen an escalating demand in the Indian market.

Now talking about escalators, it is believed that the first escalator in India was installed in the 1970s in Mumbai. For KONE, offering elevator and escalator has always been its focal point and hence a part of its offerings in India since the very beginning.

Evolution

Since 1992, KONE India has become one of the leading elevator and escalator manufacturer and service provider domestically with more than 5000 employees and 50 regional branches across India and Nepal catering to the markets of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan as well.

All this while, KONE India continues to be on a journey of transformation and innovation that improves the flow of urban life. The quest for excellence and reimagination has led to India being home to south and south east Asia's largest and smartest elevator manufacturing facility and to one of the world's 8 R&D centres located in Chennai and Pune that not only provides the best-in-class people flow solutions but is in fact the birth place for most of KONE's breakthrough innovations.

Technology has come a long way. We now live in an environment that is constantly changing and thus there is a need to constantly evolve. 

Our latest launch, KONE DX Class elevators, really is a big step forward in that direction. It's the start of a new era in the industry, a redefinition of how we experience the elevator. KONE DX Class elevators is a game-changing innovation with built-in connectivity, sound light system, open APIs information solution and services, touchless signalisation and AI based 24/7 connected services.

The DX Class creates an integrated and adaptable building experience in a way that connects at every level.

With the launch of DX Class Elevators, we have revolutionized the role of elevators in future smart buildings. 

KONE corporation - Finland, is continuously working various DX experiments that's aimed at improving limitless possibilities to enhance people flow. One such is “The mind controlled elevator” that uses EEG headsets to control elevators with the help of brain signals. This is something unparalleled and many such experiments and science fiction are being made possible by our global R&D engineers. So we will have some great offerings in store for customers in the future. 

Hence, we could say that we are building today, the cities of tomorrow.

Amit Gossain

Managing Director, KONE Elevator India.

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