Big contracts for big OEMs, national standards and high rises in Mumbai

Otis India Lands 112-Elevator Order for Bengaluru Metro Otis India has been awarded a 112-Gen2® elevator contract for the second phase of the Bengaluru Metro (also known as the Namma Metro) project of Bangalore Metro Rail Corp. Ltd.

(BMRCL). The units will be manufactured at Otis’ Bengaluru facility. The Namma Metro is expected to be India’s third-longest metro network once complete in 2023. It will cover 27 stations connecting the city’s manufacturing and technology hubs of Electronics City and Whitefield. The work is being overseen by BMRCL, which is a joint entity of the governments of India and Karnataka.

Elevator Manufacturers Urge National Standards

In light of increased lift accidents as elevators become more prevalent across India, major vertical-transportation (VT) manufacturers in the country are lobbying for national, uniform standards for design, construction and installation of VT equipment, The Economic Times reported in March. Although the National Building Code provides elevator installation guidelines, these are only recommended, observed industry veteran TAK Mathews, who said there were at least 28 elevator-related fatalities in 2019. A handful of states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka, have lift acts, and only 10 issue lift licenses, according to KONE India Managing Director Amit Gossain. thyssenkrupp Elevator India CEO Manish Mehan said further complexities are presented by major companies employing subcontractors that lack training programs, the number of small players in the market and the use of manual doors. Some markets, including Delhi, have mandated safer— but more expensive — automatic doors, he added.

IMEC to Supply Elevators for Medical Facility

Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary Mitsubishi Elevator India Pvt. Ltd. (IMEC) will supply elevators for a government-owned medical facility under construction in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, the company announced in February. The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) will be outfitted with 64 units, 48 of which are the company’s NEXIEZ-LITE machine-room-less (MRL) elevators designed and manufactured by IMEC exclusively for the Indian market. They will have a capacity of 13-15 passengers and a speed of 60 m/min. The other 16 units, NEXIEZ-MRLs manufactured in Thailand by Mitsubishi Elevator Asia Co., Ltd., will have a capacity of 21 passengers and a speed of 60 m/min. AIIMS will house a hospital and a national medical institute. IMEC expected to begin delivery of the units in March.

Two High Rises Open in Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar

Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar saw 610 families move into two high rises completed under a “cluster redevelopment,” The Hindu reported in March. The important business/residential district near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus is now home to two new 36- and 41-story buildings, which also house 128 businesses. The program is funded by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust and aims to continue construction on 11 more towers at the 16.5-acre site. The project also plans to add greenery, public spaces and shopping options to the 125-year-old market district. The two completed towers include recreational areas with gardens, a playground, prayer rooms, multipurpose halls, activity rooms and separate gymnasium rooms for women and men. The commercial spaces are on floors one through three.