Held for the very first time in New Delhi, the 3rd edition of E2 forum was inaugurated by eminent government and industry figures, including - Surendra Singh, Additional Director General, CWPD; S. K. Lohia, MD & CEO, IRSDC; Vimar Kumar, Chief Engineer (Electrical), CPWD; R Ramanathan, Project Director, General Consultant - Nagpur Metro Rail Project, Systra MVA Consulting; V Jagadish Kumar, Director, L'Avenir Consultancy Pvt Ltd; and Winston Pereira, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd.
S K Lohia, MD & CEO, IRSDC, informed that a lot of vertical growth will happen in the coming years. Not only the four-storey buildings but even privately owned single-storey buildings will undergo elevator installations. Advanced elevator technology, touchless systems, faster mobility and better maintainability will be the need of the hour going forward.
The panel of E2 Forum also consisted of VT industry leaders including Fujitec India Private Limited, ECE Elevators, Hitachi India and Schindler, as well as real estate leaders from DLF Limited, Runwal Group, Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Pvt Ltd and Smart World Developers. The multi-sectorial panel discussions gave a holistic insight into the lucrative business prospects, and the evolving demands and requirements for lifts and elevators across various streams.
Om Hari Pandey, Director (Electrical) at DMRC shared, “With metros growing all over India and exponential growth in metro ridership, there is great demand for lifts and escalators. Our Phase 4 has already been moving at a fast pace and we have recently finalised the tender for over 300 escalators, and around 200 lifts currently under the finalisation stage. With the government’s impetus for ‘Make in India’, the challenges are lying with the manufacturers to compete and derive strategy to develop and manufacture in India more and more.”
Vivek Khulbe, Head Airport Systems - Delhi International Airport Limited, GMR Group, suggested the vertical transportation segment to focus on PRM (People with Reduced Mobility), ensure optimum facilities and enhance the safety aspects so that passengers can be transported from one building to another in a safer way.
The forum was supported by apex industry body, CREDAI-MCHI as the Strategic Industry Partner, along with Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. (IRSDC) and DEA (Delhi Elevator Association). Leading elevator component brands like Arkel and Usha Martin were present as associate partners, Genemek as exhibit partner along with L’Avenir Elevator Consultancy as the Knowledge Partner.
IEE Expo was the last show for the vertical mobility sector before lockdown hit India, and E2 Forum is where the industry re-united once again. Winston Pereira, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd, added, "A lot has changed in this period with elevator manufacturers introducing product designs, features, and control functions to suit the changing market needs focused on consumer safety. E2 Forum was the ideal meeting place for the industry to discuss these advancements and the challenges and opportunities they bring for elevator OEMs going forward. The next big industry engagement platform - IEE Expo 2022, will witness the latest smart elevator technological advancements based on the shifting needs of the hygiene-conscious population.”
Following the success of E2 Forum New Delhi, Messe Frankfurt will organise the 9th edition of the International Elevator and Escalator (IEE) Expo at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai from 16 – 18 February 2022.
