Lifts from Gujarat to the global, what drives Arkel India’s manufacturing pivot? Its new Vadodara facility cuts import dependence, scales local production, and positions India as a launchpad for Asia-Pacific elevator electronics exports.
On February 26, 2026, Arkel India opened the doors of its new manufacturing facility, with an investment of about ₹1 billion in Phase 1, at the GIDC Estate in Savli-Manjusar in the Vadodara district of Gujarat, India.
The advanced, technology-driven plant will focus on locally manufacturing high-quality lift electronic systems, in line with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, with the stated aim of reducing import dependency and strengthening domestic supply chains.
The facility marks Arkel India’s transition from a trading-led model to full-scale manufacturing. Until now, the company had primarily marketed elevator electronic systems imported from Europe. “Earlier, we imported products from Europe and sold them in India, with no local manufacturing,” said Vadiraj Katti, Managing Director, Arkel Electronic India Pvt. Ltd, speaking to EFY, noting that the business had grown nearly tenfold over the past seven to eight years.
The new plant is expected to significantly alter that equation. “Our import dependency has dropped from nearly 100 per cent to 70-80 per cent with local manufacturing,” Katti said.
The company now produces printed circuit boards (PCBs) and finished systems in-house, while sourcing components such as sheet-metal enclosures, switchgear, transformers, cables, and connectors from domestic suppliers.
Spread over 135,000 square feet (approximately 12541.91 square metres), the facility is equipped with automated PCB assembly lines and semi-automatic control panel manufacturing lines.
It will manufacture integrated lift control systems, including machine room (MR), machine room-less (MRL), and slim-panel designs, for a range of applications across residential, commercial, healthcare, retail, and infrastructure projects.
The plant has a production capacity of up to 36,000 monoblock control panels per shift.
“The facility has the capacity to produce up to 36,000 monoblock control panels annually on a single shift,” said Dr Abhijeet Joglekar, Sales Head, Arkel Electronic India. He added that the plant enables end-to-end manufacturing, from PCB assembly to drive production, and supports standardised, modular solutions.
“A single product can accommodate multiple building configurations, enabling standardisation, easier storage, and faster deployment,” he said.
The company also emphasised compliance with the new IS 17900 safety standards, positioning its locally manufactured systems to meet evolving regulatory requirements. According to Katti, such standards are “critical for enhancing safety across the sector” and are closely aligned with European benchmarks, with improvements in both operational and maintenance safety.
In addition to manufacturing, the facility incorporates IoT-enabled systems for remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. “Our systems enable real-time monitoring… allowing performance tracking from any internet-enabled device,” Joglekar said, adding that regenerative drives can reduce energy consumption by up to 35 per cent.
Arkel also indicated plans to engage with technical institutions in Vadodara to support skill development and create employment opportunities.
Beyond domestic demand, the company is targeting exports. “Exporting control panels manufactured in India is a key objective,” Joglekar concluded, adding that the facility is designed to serve both Indian and Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets.
