Johnson Lifts Pvt. Ltd. has emerged as the sole financial bidder and L1 bidder for a major vertical-transportation package covering the Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra Metro projects. The company’s reported bid is approximately ₹89.61 crore.
The development relates to Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s Tender LKE(02)-02, a multi-city procurement covering heavy-duty machine-room-less lifts and heavy-duty escalators.
While the financial evaluation marks an important step in the tender process, the available procurement record does not yet show a formal Letter of Acceptance or Award of Contract. Johnson Lifts should therefore be described as the L1 bidder, rather than the confirmed contract recipient, until UPMRC issues an official award document.
Comprehensive scope across three metro systems
The package extends beyond the supply of lifts and escalators. According to the Government eProcurement tender record, the selected contractor will be responsible for the design, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the equipment.
The scope also includes maintenance during a two-year Defect Liability Period, followed by an additional one-year Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract.
This lifecycle-based approach places responsibility on the contractor not only for delivering the equipment, but also for supporting its performance after commissioning.
The official tender record lists a work period of 1,274 days. It also specifies an earnest money deposit of ₹2.19 crore and a bid-validity period of 180 days.
Tender moved through financial evaluation
UPMRC published the tender on 12 May 2026. Following extensions through subsequent corrigenda, bid submissions closed on 13 July and the bids were opened on 14 July.
Tender-tracking records indicate that the technical evaluation was completed on 21 August, followed by the financial evaluation on 24 August.
Johnson Lifts was the only bidder recorded at the financial stage and was identified as L1 with an offer of approximately ₹89.61 crore. However, the same record continues to leave the award stage blank.
This distinction is important. L1 status identifies the lowest evaluated financial offer, but it does not automatically confirm that the contract has been awarded. The procuring authority may still need to complete the required evaluation, approvals and acceptance procedures before issuing a formal award.
Supporting accessibility across metro stations
Lifts and escalators are critical components of the passenger-movement system at metro stations. They connect street, concourse and platform levels while supporting elderly passengers, people with disabilities, families with children and travellers carrying luggage.
Heavy-duty metro equipment must operate under frequent use, long daily operating hours and varying passenger volumes. Reliability, equipment availability, preventive maintenance and response time during breakdowns are therefore essential performance considerations.
The inclusion of the two-year Defect Liability Period and the additional one-year maintenance contract gives UPMRC a structured framework for monitoring the equipment after installation.
The use of machine-room-less lift technology can also reduce the requirement for a conventional overhead machine room, offering greater flexibility in station design while maintaining the capacity needed for public-transport environments.
Significant opportunity for Johnson Lifts
If formally awarded, the package would strengthen Johnson Lifts’ presence in India’s urban-rail and public-infrastructure market. Delivering equipment across three metro systems under a combined package would also require substantial coordination between manufacturing, civil works, station readiness, electrical systems and installation teams.
The project would involve managing different construction and commissioning schedules across Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra. Timely access to lift shafts, power availability, site logistics and coordination with other contractors will be important to the eventual delivery programme.
The maintenance obligations would further extend Johnson Lifts’ involvement beyond equipment installation, linking the company’s responsibilities to the operational performance of the systems after commissioning.
Formal award remains the next milestone
Several industry reports have described the ₹89.61 crore package as an awarded contract. However, the official tender page reviewed on 28 August 2026 does not display an Award of Contract or Letter of Acceptance.
Until one of these documents is published by UPMRC, the accurate status is that Johnson Lifts has emerged as the sole L1 bidder for the package.
The next significant development will be the formal acceptance of the bid and publication of the final contract value, delivery schedule and award conditions. Once confirmed, the project will represent an important vertical-mobility deployment across three of Uttar Pradesh’s major metro networks.