NIDEC Elevator Motors Establishes New Factory in India

I. Grand Opening – Another World-Class Advanced Production Base Lands in India

1.1 Overview of the New Manufacturing Hub

In November 2025, NIDEC held a grand opening ceremony in the Hubli-Dharwad region of Karnataka, India, announcing the commissioning of its new manufacturing hub—the Orchard Park. Spanning over 200,000 square meters, the new park houses six modern factories and one interactive experience center. As NIDEC's largest and most technologically advanced manufacturing base in India, it will cover multiple core product lines under the Motion & Energy business segment.

Figure 1 Orchard Park

Figure 2 Interior of the Park

Figure 3 Group Photo of Some Employees from the New Elevator Motor Factory

1.2 Coverage of the Opening Ceremony

Senior officials from the Government of India, the Government of Karnataka, and NIDEC Group attended the opening ceremony in person.

Key representatives from NIDEC included:

1. Mr. Hiroshi Kobe, Chairman of the Parent Company

2. Mr. Michael Briggs, President of the Motion & Energy Division

3. Mr. David Molnar, Vice President of NIDEC Elevator

4. Ms. Norma Tuble, Overseas Sales Director of KDS

Figure 4 Group Photo of Attending Senior Executives, with Hiroshi Kobe (Center), Michael Briggs (9th from the Right), and David Molnar (2nd from the Right)

In addition, over 180 important representatives from partners, customers, and suppliers participated in the event, among whom many are leading enterprises in India's elevator industry.

Figure 5 Group Photo of Visiting Customers with David Molnar (4th from the Right in the Second Row) and Norma Tuble (2nd from the Left in the First Row)

Figure 6 Over 180 Representatives from All Sectors Participated in the On-site Ceremony

At the ceremony, Mr. Hiroshi Kobe, Director of NIDEC, expressed confidence in future development: "Orchard Park is a powerful testament to the rooting of NIDEC's global vision in India. Our investment goes beyond infrastructure—it encompasses talent, advanced technologies, and long-term partnerships. By combining Japanese precision and innovation with Indian engineering excellence, we are creating a world-class platform to serve customers globally."

Figure 7 Mr. Hiroshi Kobe, Director of NIDEC, Delivering a Speech at the Opening Ceremony

Mr. David Molnar, Vice President of NIDEC Elevator, stated: "The launch of the elevator motor factory at Orchard Park is a defining moment for NIDEC Elevator. This investment demonstrates our commitment to positioning India as a global hub for advanced elevator technologies. With cutting-edge automation, a robust quality system, and a customer-centric philosophy, we are well-prepared to deliver world-class solutions that meet the evolving needs of urban mobility—both for India and the global market."

Figure 8 Mr. David Molnar, Vice President of NIDEC Elevator, Addressing the Ceremony

The participation of leaders from the Government of Karnataka and the Government of India highlighted the local authorities' emphasis on NIDEC's investment.

Figure 9 Group Photo of Representatives from All Parties

II. NIDEC Elevator – A Leader Among the Six Business Segments

Among NIDEC's six business segments, NIDEC Elevator stands as one of the strategic growth drivers in the Indian and global markets.

Building on the strong momentum of the Phase I Hubli Factory in India, NIDEC's new elevator motor factory will achieve comprehensive upgrades in scale, personnel, production capacity, production lines, and delivery capabilities. The Phase II Elevator Motor Factory at Orchard Park will have an annual production capacity of 30,000 units, capable of manufacturing a variety of ultra-thin outer rotor motors, inner rotor motors, and high-performance, high-speed, heavy-duty 500-series motors designed for the North American market. It will fully cover the elevator motor needs of diverse scenarios, ranging from small-load home elevators to large-load freight elevators (250KG~10000kg) with different speed requirements (0.4m/s~12m/s).

Figure 10 Guests at the Factory Opening Ceremony Visiting Main Engine Prototypes

The products are widely used in residential buildings, commercial properties (including hotels and hospitals), metro systems, and high-rise buildings. The new factory adopts advanced automated technologies such as robotic welding, automatic winding, and impregnation processes to ensure high precision and superior quality of products.

Figure 11 KDS Main Engine Family 1

Figure 12 KDS Main Engine Family 2

The new elevator motor factory in India will carry out production based on the same product platform system as KDS. In the future, it will gradually mass-produce a variety of KDS main engine products that are well-received in the Chinese market and widely applied globally, including but not limited to:

KDS WJC-T Ultra-thin Machine-room-less Main Engine:

• The ultra-thin body design offers greater flexibility and convenience, saves space, improves hoistway utilization, and effectively reduces construction costs.

• Adopts radial magnetic field design to eliminate the impact of unidirectional magnetic pull, ensuring higher maturity and stability, and effectively reducing operation noise.

• Features block-type brakes with a special design, boasting low noise and small thickness, facilitating the installation of main guide rails.

• Adopts a special mechanical structure to solve the problems of bearing life in thin-type machines and encoder replacement at the traction sheave end.

Figure 13 WJC-T Main Engine

KDS WJC-2500~5500KG Heavy-duty Freight Elevator Main Engine:

• Gearless permanent magnet synchronous main engine with low starting current, stable operation, and high transmission efficiency.

• With a maximum load capacity of up to 5500KG and a maximum elevator speed of 3m/s, different traction ratio schemes cover load requirements ranging from 2500KG to 5500KG.

• Adopts block-type brakes and double-support structure in design, with an axial load capacity of 15T, ensuring more stable and reliable overall machine performance; it can meet the transportation requirements of various industrial parks and fully satisfy the needs of industrial elevators.

Figure 14 WJC Main Engine

III. The Key Role of KDS – Full-chain Support Removes Obstacles for the Landing of the New Indian Factory

The smooth commissioning of the new factory is inseparable from the comprehensive support of Nidec-KDS. KDS ensured the new Indian factory successfully completed system construction and mass production from scratch in an extremely short period, while maintaining the same high-quality standards as KDS, by means of:

• Hardware Facility Support: Overall module introduction including production line design and planning, layout optimization, experimental stations, and independent testing capabilities.

• Close Collaboration: In technical standards, product design, production processes, and management systems to jointly improve the construction and operation system of the Indian factory.

• Stable Supply Chain Support: Reliable supply of key raw materials and core components, as well as comprehensive material and spare parts support.

• Long-term Barrier-free Cross-border Team Collaboration: Between China and India.

Empowered by KDS, Indian customers can enjoy the following benefits simultaneously:

• A mature, unified, and high-quality product system from KDS.

• Fast-response services, on-site support, and lower communication costs provided by the local Indian sales and technical team.

• Shorter delivery cycles and higher supply chain flexibility.

This forms the collaborative advantage of "Made in China + Made in India", bringing a better cooperation experience to local customers.

Figure 15 Experimental Station of the New Elevator Motor Factory

IV. Future Outlook – Deepening Roots in the Indian Market, NIDEC's Long-term Strategic Blueprint in India

Through highly automated and lean production models, the park will provide the market with reliable, technologically advanced products that meet international standards. This will not only support India's domestic infrastructure construction but also is expected to serve international markets such as North America, the Middle East, and Europe through exports.

Figure 16 Interior of the New Elevator Motor Factory

For NIDEC, the landing and commissioning of Orchard Park mark a major step in the company's global strategy in India. This project not only reflects NIDEC's foresight in sustainable manufacturing, energy transition, and electrification but also highlights its long-term investment and confidence in the Indian market.

It took less than two years to build a large-scale, multi-business, multi-product modern manufacturing park from scratch until its full commissioning. The rapid landing of the new elevator motor factory is inseparable from the comprehensive support and in-depth collaboration of KDS and its Chinese team, which also serves as a testament to NIDEC's operational capabilities, project management level, and global resource integration capabilities.

Figure 17 Equipment of the New Elevator Motor Factory

In the future, with the full operation of the park and the company's expansion in other regions of India, NIDEC is likely to become an important force driving India's green energy development, industrial modernization, and transportation electrification, while also gaining new industrial and market growth points for itself.

Figure 18 Workshop of the New Elevator Motor Factory