Thyssenkrupp has inaugurated in the Chakan Industrial Area of Pune, Maharashtra, India, its newest Multi-Purpose Facility (MPF) for the elevator industry, including manufacturing of elevators, distribution center and training facilities. Representing an investment of Rs 3 billion, the new 20,000 m2 industrial facility is designed for an initial capacity of manufacturing 6,000 elevator units, extendable to 10,000 in the course of the next two years. The new MPF was built in a short 18-month time period.
thyssenkrupp has built a strong global reputation in helping to improve mobility and efficiency in rapidly-growing urban areas around the world. Having established a 95% manufacturing localization target, the opening of the Pune factory will enable the company to significantly expand in the region and support the increasing growth of the Indian construction sector, driven by strong urbanization.
Nurturing local talent is an essential element of thyssenkrupp’s plans for India. As part of the factory’s inauguration thyssenkrupp will also be launching a new seed campus training center for field technicians. This facility will support the development of local skills and knowledge in line with the Indian government’s wider training programs to improve service provision and efficiency in businesses across the region. The global seed campus team is taking learning at thyssenkrupp Elevator to a new era, driving the evolution of learning tools and methodologies by including digitalization in all its forms: mixed reality, virtual reality, gaming applications and simulations.
Ravi Kirpalani, CEO of thyssenkrupp India, comments: “The urban population in India is one of the fastest growing in the world. 30% of citizens currently live in urban areas, and this is expected to reach 40% by 2030. The government is focused on building new housing complexes, airports, malls, railway stations and harbors. We are delighted that our new local manufacturing site will better enable us to support this. With the addition of the new Multi-Purpose F-acility to the Chakan Industrial Area, thyssenkrupp is poised to play an important role both in supporting the development of the local area, and contributing to wider Indian goals of sustainable and efficient urbanized growth.”
Peter Allaart, executive VP, global manufacturing, thyssenkrupp Elevator, comments: “We’re proud to have been able to inaugurate this new facility in such a short 18-month time period, as the localization of elevator manufacturing is considered crucial for the expansion of our business in India, and has been thyssenkrupp’s plan for many years.” Peter Allaart continued, it is not only manufacturing but also about nurturing talent, the new seed campus training center will play an important role both in supporting the development of the local area, and contributing to wider Indian goals of localizing talent in the country”.
Speaking about the latest developments in the Indian elevator market and the significance of the new facility, Bharat Vishnani, Managing Director, thyssenkrupp Elevator India, said, “India’s 2017 Union Budget has given Infrastructure status to affordable housing, which will improve resource allocation and facilitate higher investments in this sector. In line with the government’s aim to provide housing for all by 2022, it will create 20 million new urban housing units and 30 million rural homes. Along with this, the Government’s drive on Smart Cities will open up new opportunities to be explored. All these factors in turn will give strong impetus to the Indian elevator industry”.
By 2020, it is predicted that India will have 58 urban conglomerations and feature two of the world’s 20 global megacities (New Delhi and Mumbai). Construction is being driven by both new skyscrapers and large-scale redevelopment of existing properties, both in the ambition to support continued population growth across the country’s urban landscapes. With efficient mobility being a key concern in this renewed city space, it is no surprise that India is the fastest growing elevator market in the world.