Q The home elevator segment in India is evolving rapidly. What specific market gaps and regulatory realities shaped Wittur’s decision to develop as a purpose-built residential mobility solution?
The idea behind QUARTZ-i was born from a fundamental insight that homeowners deserve the same level of safety, performance, and design integrity as users of commercial elevators. The growing presence of multilevel villas, duplex homes, and penthouses in India has created a clear demand for intelligent vertical mobility solutions tailored for private residences.
However, many builders and homeowners often don’t fully grasp the engineering and safety distinctions between home and commercial elevators. From power supply to pit depth, from load cycles to regulatory norms—home elevators are a completely separate category, governed by the Lift Act and IS 15259, India’s specific safety code for private residential lifts.
With QUARTZ-i, our mission was clear: to create a purpose-built, regulation-compliant home elevator that is compact, customisable, and capable of operating in low-pit, low-overhead conditions common in Indian homes. It’s not a scaled-down commercial unit—it’s an elevator engineered specifically for homes, with safety at its core.
REIMAGINING RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY
As the Indian residential landscape evolves, home elevators are no longer a luxury—they are becoming an integral part of modern living. From multi-generational villas to sleek penthouses, homeowners are seeking mobility solutions that are safe, compliant, and aesthetically integrated.
In this exclusive interview for the Elevator Innovations Special Edition of Homes & Buildings Magazine, SURAJ THODIMARATH, Managing Director – APAC Region, Wittur Group, discusses how Wittur is redefining personal mobility with German engineering, local manufacturing, and uncompromising safety standards.
Q The Indian market offers a variety of home lift technologies—some compliant, others not. How does Wittur Group differentiate itself technically and in terms of long-term safety, especially against popular but non-compliant options?
SURAJ THODIMARATH
Managing Director, APAC Region, Wittur Group
We’ve observed that home elevators are often treated like appliances, and that leads to the adoption of solutions that may look appealing but fall short on engineering and compliance.
Take vacuum elevators, for instance. They’re novel, but currently not compliant with Indian safety codes, making them unsuitable for regulated applications. Hydraulic elevators, while lower in upfront cost, bring higher maintenance burdens and risks like hydraulic oil leakage over time.
In contrast, QUARTZ-i is a traction-based system—a platform we strongly recommend for home applications. It ensures reliable, low-maintenance performance for up to 20 metres of travel—ideal for villas, duplexes, and G+5 structures.
What makes QUARTZ-i unique is that it’s a fully integrated system, including our Cabin, Doors, and Sling (CDS) kit, plug-and-play controller, and factory-tested components. This drastically reduces on-site errors, simplifies civil coordination, and accelerates timelines for builders and homeowners alike.
Critically, QUARTZ-i is one of the few home elevators in India that fully complies with IS 15259.
Equipped with toe guards by default, and we offer patented anti-drop sill hook technology, which prevents the door from dislodging even under pressure from children or adults. These safety features go far beyond aesthetic appeal—they’re real safeguards for families.
Q Wittur has an established global safety reputation in commercial mobility systems. How have you translated that safety DNA into the engineering of a residential elevator?
Safety isn’t a feature at Wittur—it’s a design philosophy. With QUARTZ-i, safety has been integrated from the ground up.
For example, our anti-drop sill hook—standard in every QUARTZ-i system—secures the door in its track, even under external force. We also use infrared light curtains at the cabin entrance to prevent operation when any obstruction is detected.
For added peace of mind, we provide both mechanical and electrical rescue systems, so that in the event of a power failure, safe evacuation is possible. Our smart alerts even monitor ARD (Automatic Rescue Device) performance, ensuring proactive response if any malfunction is detected.
The future of home mobility is safe, compliant, and seamlessly integrated into the living space.
Q With home elevators shifting from a luxury item to an essential utility for accessibility and aging-in-place, what macro trends and user behaviours are shaping your R&D and product roadmap?
Vertical mobility inside the home is no longer aspirational—it’s becoming essential. Whether it’s multi-generational living, aging-in-place convenience, or disability-friendly design, homeowners are looking at elevators as integral, long-term investments.
Wittur is preparing for this shift by creating solutions that are smart, safe, and standardised. Our focus is on improving adaptability across home types, ensuring easier retrofits, shorter installation cycles, and systems that are robust enough to last for decades.
The future will demand not just elevators—but smart, family-ready mobility systems that are compliant, elegant, and easy to live with. QUARTZ-i is our answer to that future.
Q Many developers and homeowners still conflate home elevators with smaller versions of commercial lifts. What are the critical engineering, regulatory, and operational distinctions they must understand before specifying a home elevator?
This is a fundamental question, and one that’s often misunderstood. Home elevators are not downsized commercial lifts. They’re governed by different usage requirements, power supply formats, safety regulations, and speed/load limits.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
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Power Supply: Home elevators like QUARTZ-i run on single-phase power, unlike commercial elevators that need 3-phase supply.
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Standards: Home elevators must comply with IS 15259, while commercial elevators follow IS 14665.
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Capacity & Speed: Home elevators are capped at 4 persons and 0.2 m/s, as per BIS guidelines—far lower than commercial systems.
Unfortunately, some builders install non-compliant options like vacuum or hydraulic lifts, which may bring issues later. QUARTZ-i is built specifically to BIS specs, and we advise every builder to ensure compliance from day one.
Q Safe and reliable mobility solutions depend as much on installation and maintenance quality as on product design. How is Wittur building installer capacity and technical competency across India?
Safety is only as strong as the person installing it. That’s why we run comprehensive training programs across India—free of cost—for our partner installers and OEMs.
Our curriculum covers technical installation, safety protocols, compliance understanding, and emergency procedures. By investing in local talent and installer readiness, we’re creating a network of professionals who can uphold Wittur’s global standards right here in India.
It’s about building not just better elevators—but a better ecosystem of reliability.
Q Finally, for homeowners and decision-makers weighing the investment, what guiding principles should define the choice of a residential elevator?
A home elevator is more than a convenience—it’s a functional investment in safety, lifestyle, and future-proof living.
Don’t treat it as just another appliance. Choose a solution that offers full compliance, elegant design, safety innovation, and long-term performance. QUARTZ-i brings all of this together in one package—German-engineered, locally manufactured, and tailored for Indian homes.
