Harmonised, Future-Ready Regulatory Framework Essential to Drive Ease of Doing Business in India’s Lift & Escalator Industry
CII unveils Model National Lift & Escalator Act blueprint featuring 21-day digital approvals, UAIN lifetime asset tracking, and risk-based inspection regimes to support vertical urbanisation.
NEW DELHI - India’s elevator and escalator industry is emerging as a critical enabler of the country’s rapid urbanisation and high-rise expansion, supporting safe, accessible, and efficient mobility across residential, commercial, and public infrastructure. Driven by sustained momentum in real estate and infrastructure, the sector is gaining significant economic weight while strengthening India's integration into global supply chains as both a primary market for advanced building systems and an emerging manufacturing hub.
Robust Market Fundamentals & Global Integration
India has established itself as the world’s second-largest and fastest-growing market for vertical mobility. Valued at USD 14.6 billion in 2024, the market is projected to reach USD 22.2 billion by 2033. With approximately 100,000 elevator and escalator units installed annually, the sector is expanding at ~8% per year—nearly double the global growth rate. Simultaneously, India’s global trade footprint is accelerating, with both component imports and exports of building-class lifts recording strong double-digit CAGRs of 24–31%, underscoring the nation's rise as a global manufacturing and export center.
Government Alignment: Pivot to Trust-Based Governance
Speaking at the CII Policy Roundtable on Regulatory Harmonization in the Lifts, Escalators and Building Technologies Sector in New Delhi, senior government leadership reaffirmed the Union Government's commitment to reducing administrative friction:
"The Government is moving towards trust-based governance and reducing the compliance burden across sectors. The lifts and escalators industry can help us achieve this by identifying regulations, approvals, and documentation that are no longer necessary. The Model Act should reflect this philosophy—simplifying the regulatory journey while retaining only those interventions that are essential for safety."
— Shri Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh, Director, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
Industry Leadership Perspective
Highlighting the urgency of legislative harmonization across state borders, Mr. Amit Gossain, Chairman, CII Task Force on Elevators, Escalators & Building Technologies Sector, and Managing Director, KONE Elevator India, stated:
"As India’s cities grow vertically, lifts, escalators, and building technology have become an essential part of our urban transit infrastructure. A harmonised regulatory framework is therefore critical—not only to improve Ease of Doing Business, but also to strengthen safety, accountability, accessibility, and inclusivity, ensuring that our built environment is safe and accessible for everyone."
Core Pillars of the CII Reform Agenda & Model Act
To replace fragmented state-level rules with a predictable national framework, CII has proposed a comprehensive policy agenda anchored in the Model National Lift & Escalator Act:
National Single Window & 21-Day Approvals: Implementation of a unified digital portal offering deemed clearances within 21 days.
Unique Asset Identification Number (UAIN): Standardized lifetime digital tracking for every unit installed across the country.
Risk-Based Inspection Regime: Differentiating high-risk Class A installations from standard Class B units to enable targeted, efficient safety audits.
Smart Telemetry & Predictive Safety: Mandatory framework for IoT-enabled control centers, remote diagnostics, and real-time fault reporting.
National Workforce Certification: Establishing standardized training and certification frameworks to build a skilled, future-ready technical workforce.
Commenting on the execution roadmap, Mr. Tarunesh Mathur, President & CEO, Schindler India, added:"With the launch of the Model Lift & Escalator Act, we have a starting point and a clear roadmap. Our shared priorities are safety, accessibility, sustainability, and ease of doing business. The focus now must be on keeping the framework simple, practical, and implementable, and working together to translate these recommendations into meaningful action."