Elevator maker KONE inaugurates new manufacturing facility near Chennai

The Rs 450-cr unit will employ around 600 people; Firm will also be exporting to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

KONE Elevator India Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KONE Corporation, today inaugurated a new elevators-making unit near Chennai. The Rs 450-crore facility will employ around 600 people and is designed to manufacture on demand.

Though the new plant will majorly focus on the Indian market, KONE will be exporting to neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

KONE India is now set to ride on the wave of urbanisation in the country with its new plant. Spread across 50,000 sq metres, the new elevator manufacturing unit is the largest in this region. 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.

Henrik Ehrnrooth, President & CEO, KONE Corporation, said that the expanded facility will help the company cater better to its customers, apart from as meeting the demands for a growing elevator market in India and in neighbouring countries.

Axel Berkling, EVP APA, KONE Corporation stated, “India plays a very important role, not only in Asia Pacific but also in the global plans for KONE and therefore this expansion of the factory is of immense importance."

India is the second-largest market for the company after China and it contributes around three per cent of global revenue.

Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE India, said the new facility will enable the company to further step up exports to other markets and generate employment. The new unit aims at leveraging digitalisation opportunities and speeding up development in a changing business environment. It will tap exciting and unique ways to improve customer and user experience, as well as the quality and productivity of KONE’s operations.

“To meet the growing demand, we have set up this factory with increased manufacturing capacity. We also significantly invest in R&D and create expert manpower for providing operation and maintenance services. We have over 5,000 direct employees and a large number of indirect employment through subcontractors, suppliers and partners, who innovate together to deliver the best results,” Gossain added.