How vertical mobility is shaping India’s urban future

India’s cities are growing rapidly. In fact, by 2035, nearly half the population will live in urban areas – —and megacities like such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad will continue to swell. The challenge isn’t only about accommodating more people, given the lack of affordable housing. It’s about matching infrastructure with population growth —roads, public transport, water, and energy networks all face greater demands as the city spreads outward, requiring longer transit lines, extended utilities, and more maintenance, which increases costs and complexity. Expanding outward also consumes land and can widen socio-economic divides. The solution lies in building upward, making growth more compact, efficient, and sustainable.

At the heart of this vertical transformation is something essential to taller cities: elevators. As of 2024, there were an estimated 22 million elevators operating around the world. Of that number, around 8 million need modernization modernisationnow. When you consider that against the backdrop of our ageing global population – —over 2 billion people are expected to be 60 years or older by 2050 – —the call to action to implement vertical mobility solutions for accessibility becomes even more critical.

Redefining Urban Design Through Vertical Mobility

For decades, India’s cities have grown horizontally – —expanding at the peripheries of our megacities. With this, though, affordable housing, offices, and community amenities have been pushed further from city centeres, leading to long commutes, congestion, and pollution – —not to mention overall mobility challenges accessing resources.

But that story is changing.

Taller residential towers, mixed-use developments and integrated communities allow planners to use land more efficiently and keep people closer to where they live, work and play.

In Mumbai, for example, towers used to stop at 15 floors but now rise past 60. Modern elevators that are faster, more energy efficient, and designed for increased accessibility make this height and density possible. Elevators are not just about getting up and down residential and commercial buildings; they’re an important part of more livableliveable and connected cities that keep people close to the resources they need.

Designing for an Ageing Population

By 2050, India will have more than 320 million senior citizens. The buildings we design today will shape their lives – —including whether they’re able to live independently, participate in their communities, and contribute to society and the economy.

The government’s upcoming IS 17900 code, effective December 2025, will require elevators in new buildings to be more accessible, with wider doors, braille and audio controls, and reliable emergency systems. This is about more than just compliance. It will propel better movement for the riding public – —benefitting seniors, and also parents with strollers, and those with disabilities and limited mobility.

Retrofitting older buildings is equally crucial. As redevelopment accelerates across cities, safer and more efficient elevators are becoming essential. For seniors, these upgrades can mean freedom of movement, continued independence, and a better quality of life.

Elevators and Sustainable Megacities

Vertical mobility also plays a vital role in building more sustainable cities. Modern elevators are far more energy-efficient, using regenerative drives that feed unused energy back into the building for re-use.

Smart dispatch systems group passengers efficiently, reducing both travel time and power use – —as well as taking up less space in the building – —while keeping people moving seamlessly within buildings, requiring fewer overall trips for the riding public.

High-rise living itself offers environmental benefits. Compact, vertical developments require less road infrastructure, preserve green belts on city edges, and make utilities like water and electricity more efficient. People in well-planned towers spend less time commuting, saving fuel and cutting emissions – —all while giving them time back in their day to enjoy.

In this way, modern elevators contribute twice to sustainability: directly by improving building energy performance (when technology like regenerative drives are used), and indirectly by reducing the sprawl that drives urban pollution.

India’s Path Forward

As India moves towards a more urban future, elevators must be viewed as enablers of inclusive and sustainable growth. Every new and modernized modernised building is an opportunity to rethink how our cities move and how people of all ages and abilities live within them.

As developers continue investing in systems that are safe, energy-efficient, senior-friendly, and digitally connected, governments can reinforce accessibility and sustainable building standards that recognize recognise the critical role of vertical mobility. And society, as a whole, should view elevators as essential infrastructure and tools of independence and growth.

Building our future means creating infrastructure that accommodates every generation, providing efficient movement, smoother rides, and reliable access. As cities expand upward, elevators will shape how India lives, works, and ages. Trusted, reliable vertical mobility is central to functional, inclusive, and innovative cities. By embracing vertical design, India can make its cities not only taller but smarter, more sustainable, and more equitable.

(The author is President, Otis India. Views are personal)