There's a growing demand for sustainable solutions: Otis India's President

Customers are looking at products that are geared towards efficiency whilst providing environmentally responsible features, Joseph tells Sangeeta Tanwar.

Old and crumbling infrastructure is a big challenge in Indian cities like Mumbai and Kolkata and one hears of lift-related accidents quite often these days. What are the challenges that any modernisation/overhaul drive is likely to face?

One of the biggest challenges to modernisation is that there is no uniform national code that makes it compulsory for the users to upgrade their elevators to the contemporary safety standards. Some states do have up-to-date safety codes but a lot of them are non-compulsory. Moreover, traditionally the India user prefers to stay committed to a product for as long as they can. However, that is now changing as people are realising that it can sometimes be detrimental and counterproductive.

Otis is pursuing a modernisation drive for older elevators in India. Implementing that won’t be easy...

We have introduced a green modernisation package for the India elevator market based on the technology of the flagship product, the Gen2 elevator family. Apart from upgrading the elevator, the Gen2 MOD package will bring elevators in need of renovation up to date with the latest technology in safety, comfort and environmental standards as well as enhance the passenger experience. The Gen2 MOD will be provided from Otis’ India factory in Bengaluru.  

The Gen2 MOD package employs a smart retention programme where reusable parts from the older system are retained in the new system. This further aids in minimal interference with the structural part of the building, reduces the downtime period and minimises the inconvenience to residents. Considering that elevators have been around in India for a while now, there are and will be units that will be in need of modernisation. What is also relevant is that customers are now looking to products that are geared towards efficiency whilst providing environmentally responsible features and benefits.

You operate in a low involvement category and you have to stay top of mind with your tech-led initiatives. What are the key business areas where you are leading with digital deployments?

Otis engineers are working to develop the next generation of elevators which will for the first time connect manufacturing to installation to service allowing us to deliver to the customer a unique holistic offering. We are taking huge strides in transforming our service business at a global level to incorporate smart, connected technology that delivers proactive, quick and effective diagnostics and repair.

Across the organisation, Otis has developed and is accelerating additional efforts to expand the use of internal service apps. These innovative new tools will enable our on-field employees to be greatly efficient, source information faster, and see a problem before it becomes one. We have expanded our relationship with Microsoft to develop state-of-the-art connectivity and analytics solutions and remote monitoring. At the back of our investment in IoT and mobility solutions, we are building connected elevators that give our customers transparency, access to the right information and a streamlined process to access Otis’ services.

Have you witnessed any major shifts in the market in recent years?

With the growing need and demand towards sustainable solutions, elevator players are focusing on developing products that offer higher efficiency whilst providing environmentally responsible features and benefits. For example, Otis’ Gen2 elevator has allowed for mini-machine room and machine-room less elevators that does not require a machine to be installed on top of the building but is fitted on the top of the elevator shaft. This saves space, giving architectural freedom. Machine room less elevators is quickly gaining demand.

Another shift that is taking place in the industry is the focus and attention on aesthetics. The modern Indian customer is now paying more attention than ever to elevators. Otis elevators has come up with two new aesthetic design themes Aura and Atmos in India that reflects Indian warmth and culture as well as the “new age” of modern India – providing new, sleek design options for building architects and designers.

As you mentioned, the demand for ‘green’ infrastructure has been increasing over the last few years. How is Otis geared to satisfy that demand?

As of Decemebr 2018, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has 6.63 billion square feet of green building footprint and 4,981 registered projects. Our Gen2 elevator is a popular product in this category. The developers and building owners are becoming environmentally conscious and aiming for green certifications like LEED etc. Otis’ Gen2 equipment and ReGen drive technology supports these green buildings. In fact, a Gen2 elevator with ReGen regenerative drives can reduce energy consumption by 75 per cent under normal operation compared to traditional elevators with non-regenerative drives.

Gen2 Switch, is another great ‘green’ innovation by Otis based on the Gen2 technology platform. The switch is an easy to install, single-phase battery operated, elevator system that can be a boon to geographical pockets that experience frequent power cuts. The switch charges a pack of batteries under normal running mode, which in turn supplies power to the motor in case of a power cut. Additionally, the Gen2 Switch is compatible with alternative energy sources like solar panels.

Otis is also working on developing smart elevators. A smart elevator is a connected elevator capable of communicating with passengers, building managers, service staff and other building systems to improve the passenger experience and elevator performance, especially through improved elevator maintenance.