A home elevator (also called a residential lift) is rated for low-frequency use — typically 4-6 person capacity, 230 V single-phase power, compact MRL drives that fit narrow shafts. A passenger elevator is rated for commercial use — 6-20+ person capacity, three-phase power, gearless drives rated for 1,500-2,000+ trips per day. The price gap is roughly 40-60% for the same cabin size. We'll only quote you a passenger lift for a residence if the building is genuinely commercial in usage pattern.

Hydraulic lifts work for low-rise (typically up to 4-5 stops, 15 metres travel), no machine room needed beyond a small power-pack alcove, slower speed (0.15-0.3 m/s), lower install cost, higher energy use per trip. Traction lifts work for everything taller, faster speed (0.6-2.5+ m/s), need a machine-room or MRL provision, higher install cost, lower energy use. For a 3-stop home or goods lift, hydraulic is almost always the right answer. For a 10+ floor building, traction.

For most Indian homes — 4 person (320 kg) or 6 person (450 kg). The 4-person cabin fits a 1,200 × 1,100 mm shaft and works for daily family use. The 6-person fits 1,400 × 1,300 mm and handles guests + occasional furniture. Anything smaller (2-3 person) is uncomfortable for a long-term install; anything larger eats floor space in your home. We'll usually recommend the smallest cabin that's still comfortable and not upsell beyond that.

MRL means machine-room-less — the drive sits in a small alcove inside or above the shaft, no separate machine room needed. Conventional traction needs a dedicated machine room above the shaft (typically 4 sq m + 2.5 m headroom). MRL saves civil cost and floor space; conventional has slightly easier service access. We use MRL by default for any new build under 12 stops; conventional only when the client's consultant specifies it.

A hospital elevator (IS 14665 Class B) has a deeper cabin (1,500 × 2,400 mm minimum) that fits a stretcher with an attendant on each side, plus a low-jerk controller and infection-control cabin spec. If you're running a hospital, nursing home, daycare surgery centre, or hotel that accepts ambulance access, you need at least one hospital-spec lift. Standard passenger lifts won't accept a stretcher.

A goods lift is rated for materials, not people — heavy structural frame, larger payload (500 kg-5+ tons), industrial controls, no passenger-side safety features (mirror, handrail, attendant station). If you regularly move loads above 250 kg, or the load doesn't fit a standard passenger cabin, you need a goods lift. We'll often recommend pairing a goods lift with a separate small passenger lift rather than oversizing one cabin to handle both.

Single-mast handles payloads up to about 1.5 tons cleanly and is more affordable. Double-mast handles 2-5+ tons and gives a more stable cabin during loading — when a forklift drives onto the platform, single-mast can rock slightly, double-mast doesn't. For Pithampur, Sanand, Hosur OEM use we default to double-mast unless the client specifically asks otherwise.

Rough rule for residential: 1 lift per 50 flats up to about 8 floors, 1 lift per 30 flats above. Commercial: 1 lift per 5,000-7,000 sq ft of net floor area. Hospital: at least one stretcher-grade lift per 50 beds plus separate service lifts. These are starting points; the architect's traffic study refines them. We don't over-quote on lift count; if your traffic numbers say two lifts are enough, that's what we'll quote.