KONE has inaugurated its first Digital Experience Centre (DEC) in India, creating a dedicated space in Pune where customers can experience how artificial intelligence, connectivity, data and digital technologies are being integrated into elevators, services and smart-building ecosystems.
The new facility is positioned as the first of its kind in India’s elevator and escalator industry and represents another step in KONE’s broader digitalisation strategy. Rather than functioning as a conventional product showroom, the centre has been designed as an interactive environment where developers, building owners, facility managers and other customers can explore technologies across different stages of a building’s lifecycle.
KONE Leadership and Nandan Nilekani Inaugurate the Centre
The Digital Experience Centre was jointly inaugurated by Jussi Herlin, Executive Vice Chair, KONE Corporation; Philippe Delorme, President and CEO, KONE; and Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Infosys.
Amit Gossain, Managing Director of KONE India, was also present as the company marked the opening of the Pune facility. KONE and Infosys have an existing technology partnership, adding significance to Nilekani’s presence at the inauguration.
The opening also underlines the importance of India within KONE’s technology and engineering operations. The company has operated in India since 1984 and currently has more than 50 branches and over 6,000 employees in the country, along with technology and engineering centres in Chennai and Pune.
AI, Connectivity and Real-Time Building Data
A key focus of the Digital Experience Centre is demonstrating how connected elevator systems can generate information that supports better building operations and service management.
Visitors can interact with technologies covering elevator design and configuration, equipment monitoring, digital customer interfaces and service insights. The objective is to provide greater visibility into elevator operations while helping building owners and managers make more informed decisions based on real-time information.
The centre demonstrates several KONE digital solutions, including KONE Studio, MyKONE, E-Link and a customer-focused Service Dashboard.
KONE Studio enables users to digitally explore and configure elevator solutions during the planning and design process.
MyKONE provides customers with visibility into projects, equipment and services throughout their relationship with KONE.
E-Link gives users real-time information on equipment status and operations, supporting more proactive monitoring and management.
The Service Dashboard consolidates service and operational information to provide a broader view of equipment performance.
Together, the systems demonstrate a shift in vertical transportation from elevators being treated primarily as standalone mechanical equipment towards increasingly connected infrastructure within a building’s wider digital ecosystem.
Moving Towards More Proactive Elevator Maintenance
The use of connectivity, data analytics and AI is becoming increasingly important in elevator maintenance.
Connected equipment can provide continuous operational information that helps service teams identify unusual behaviour and potential problems. This can support more proactive maintenance strategies, with interventions increasingly informed by equipment data rather than relying only on fixed maintenance schedules or responding after a failure occurs.
KONE India has also indicated that it plans to significantly expand its connected elevator portfolio in the country. Around 50,000 elevators, representing approximately 30% of its Indian portfolio, are currently connected, according to recent comments from the company. KONE aims to double the number of connected elevators over the coming year as it expands the use of AI-assisted monitoring and maintenance technologies.
Smart Buildings Become More Connected
The Pune centre reflects a wider transformation taking place across the elevator industry as vertical transportation becomes more closely integrated with building-management and digital infrastructure.
Elevators can increasingly form part of connected building environments where information from equipment, access systems and other building technologies can contribute to smoother movement of people, better service visibility and improved operational efficiency.
For customers, the Digital Experience Centre provides an opportunity to see these technologies working together rather than evaluating each digital product independently.
Philippe Delorme, President and CEO of KONE, described India as an important market for the company and said the centre would allow customers to experience how digitalisation, connectivity and AI are influencing the future of People Flow.
Amit Gossain, Managing Director of KONE India, said the company is focusing on using data, artificial intelligence and digital innovation to make increasingly connected buildings more responsive, efficient and sustainable.
A New Digital Touchpoint for India’s Elevator Market
India’s rapid urbanisation, growth in high-rise development and expanding commercial and residential building stock are creating greater demand for technologies that can improve the reliability and management of vertical transportation systems.
Against this backdrop, KONE’s Digital Experience Centre gives architects, developers, consultants, facility managers and building owners a physical environment in which they can explore how AI, connectivity and real-time data could change the way elevators are designed, monitored and maintained.
The Pune facility ultimately represents more than a showcase of new elevator technology. It illustrates how the industry is increasingly moving towards connected elevators, predictive service models and digitally integrated buildings, where software and data are becoming as important as the physical equipment moving people between floors.
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