Governments & corporations are actively working towards strengthening cities' long term economic growth.

- Amit Gossain

Managing Director, Kone Elevator India

Can you share your views on the government initiatives and investment scenario?

Today, cities have become the core of economic, social, and cultural activities. Urbanization is driving global growth at such an increasing pace that estimates suggest that over the next ten years expansion of cities in emerging markets will drive close to half of GDP growth. A UN report also suggests that by 2050 two-thirds of the world's population will live in the cities and the boom will be concentrated in India, China and Nigeria. Therefore, governments and corporations are actively working towards strengthening cities long term economic growth to make them more resilient and improve the quality of life of the citizens; in short to make them future-ready. For this to happen, emphasis is being put on building smart cities.

I feel the onus will be on the government as well as on private sector to ensure large infra spends in these sectors. The vertical is actively working towards deepening the reach of PPP as the preferred mode for the implementation of infrastructure projects. It seeks to create time bound world-class infrastructure and attract private sector and institutional capital in infrastructure.

So, in an era that is constantly experiencing a rising interdependence between cities and economic growth, one cannot help but wonder, how can businesses and technology foster the development of smart cities.

Collaboration between cities, governments and businesses can help them mutually thrive. Cities can benefit from the innovation, vitality, and resources of the private sector. The private sector in return can have the opportunities that exist in the challenges of a city, use them efficiently, and grow. Through this interdependence, businesses today have a huge chance to not only gain profits but also practically develop cities into good places to live in.

In this scenario, how do you see the opportunities for the elevators and escalators sector? What is your outlook for the sector?

There lies ahead, a hope scope for elevators and escalator sectors and also holistically I could say that there is a huge demand to digitize the real estate industry using the next gen technology.

As we build today cities of tomorrow, KONE India is also meeting the challenges of existing buildings. We offer solutions for existing buildings that help in improving safety, reliability, accessibility, and appearance while also reducing energy costs substantially. KONE is building and evolving technology, equipment, infrastructure, and practices that are in tune with India's development and needs. With digital connectivity as a standard, elevators will now evolve with use, throughout the life of a building. So, we not only have developed break-through technology for KONE customers, to adapt and upgrade the elevator experience according to needs now, and in the future but we are continuously working towards not increasing the value we create for customers.

The government is laying emphasis on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and make in India. What are the teething challenges faced by companies like you. What needs to be done to address these challenges?

The opportunity for 'Make in India' initiative is immense.  At KONE, we have been embracing 'Make in India' ever since the 1980s. Our elevator manufacturing factory, located in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu is the world class Elevator Manufacturing Facility. Many global giant manufacturing players have already setup or are in the process of setting up manufacturing plants in India to harness the local demand. Having said that 'Make in India' initiative would be able to hugely contribute towards India's GDP in the coming days. Focus should be on developing small scale suppliers of raw materials and upskilling the local talent to adopt to the latest technology and processes. I feel that the government is taking big strides on this subject and we can enjoy the fruits of the efforts in the distinct future.

How has the pandemic affected the elevators and escalators industry? For KONE, how has been the impact?

The elevator and escalator industry is amid many game-changing advancements that could revolutionize the way elevators and escalators operate. Some of the noteworthy trends are predictive maintenance to identify, analyse and resolve possible service errors before they occur, real-time insights and analytics available for equipment owners, energy-efficient solutions for greener buildings, and many more.

The way people interact with everyday surroundings is set to change. KONE through its inventions is adapting, to meet future needs and create a better experience for the users of buildings, with its ground-breaking inventions. With our products, we are making buildings and cities safer and healthier places to live, work and commute. Our latest launch the DX Class Elevator is an integral and integrated platform that offers intuitive, flexible, and connected experiences that extend from the lobby throughout the building. As buildings evolve, the elevators can also evolve in ways we have not seen before. We have also built solutions like Escalator Handrail Sanitizer and Touchless Elevator Call, that ensure safety along with the most efficient urban flow.

As we build today cities of tomorrow, KONE India is also meeting the challenges of existing buildings. We offer solutions for existing buildings that help in improving safety, reliability, accessibility, and appearance while also reducing energy costs substantially. KONE is building and evolving technology, equipment, infrastructure, and practices that are in tune with India's development and needs. With digital connectivity as a standard, elevators will now evolve with use, throughout the life of a building. So, we not only have developed break-through technology for KONE customers, to adapt and upgrade the elevator experience according to needs now, and in the future but we are continuously working towards not increasing the value we create for customers.

Tell us about your plans on becoming future-ready in terms of investments, capacity addition, tie-ups, talent acquisition, etc.

We are already future-ready with our new state-of-the-art elevator manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The factory is equipped with the latest technology in production, reinforcing KONE's customer focused strategy to provide the most competitive, highest quality products with short delivery time.

We have a lot of things in the pipeline and a few are yet to take shape. At KONE, we emphasize and invest significantly on our products and technology, that sets us apart from our competitors.

The changing trends in the industry are more about the needed fundamental developments. We know that demand in the industry is set to increase, residential segment especially low-cost and affordable housing being a major contributor. But this growth is followed by a strong need for energy-efficient, smart and sustainable products and solutions. Hence, we are in the look out to attract the right talent to build sustainable solutions for our customers.

KONE corporation - Finland, is continuously working various DX experiments that's aimed at improving limitless possibilities to enhance people flow. Our R&D team is tirelessly working on some breakthrough innovations that is aimed to take the people flow experience to a whole new level. So, we will have some great offerings in store for customers in the future.

Hits: 160