SP: YugX has been in the news since its inception. What was the thought process behind its launch?
AG: YugX was not built on a sudden idea — it was built on more than 20 years of observing the evolution of this industry. After my exit from Arkel India, I had the opportunity to step back and ask a more fundamental question: What does the Indian elevator industry truly need? My conclusion was simple: India has no shortage of elevator companies, but it does have a shortage of strong elevator brands. Companies built around design integrity, technology partnerships and long-term ownership are still rare in a market often driven by short-term project margins. YugX was created to fill that gap. The name itself comes from the Sanskrit word Yug, meaning era or generation. It reflects our ambition to build something enduring, something that outlasts a single product cycle or even a single founder. From day one, YugX has been designed as a brand-led, partnership-anchored and scalable platform for the future of vertical mobility in India.
SP: YugX has made rapid progress since then. What are the aspects or unique selling propositions that define YugX and set it apart?
AG: First, our exclusive technology partnership with MP Lifts of Spain — one of Europe’s most respected lift technology companies — gives us access to a complete European product platform that very few Indian players can offer under a single brand. Second, our service-led business model. We see every installation not as the end of a transaction, but as the beginning of a20-year relationship. Maintenance, modernization and digital monitoring are central to our strategy — not secondary functions. Third, our brand discipline. We have been deliberate in positioning YugX as a premium, design-conscious brand that respects the architectural value of a building rather than competing purely on price. These three pillars — European technology, service-first economics and brand-led positioning — allow us to stand apart in a market historically divided between multinational giants at the top and fragmented regional players below.
SP: What is the significance of the recent announcements by YugX? What are the positive implications for the vertical transportation (VT) industry and the company?
AG: The recent announcements — the formal MP Lifts partnership, the strategic integration of Ostrich Elevators and our preparation for a dedicated manufacturing and assembly base at Manjusar GIDC, Vadodara — together represent a defining moment for YugX. Individually, each is an important milestone. Collectively, they signal that a new, fully integrated Indian elevator company is taking shape. For the industry, this is healthy. Customers, consultants and developers now have access to a credible Indian alternative that combines global technology with local accountability. For our suppliers and channel partners, it demonstrates long-term commitment — we are building an institution, not pursuing short-term opportunity. And for our employees, especially those joining us through the Ostrich integration, it reinforces that they are becoming part of a platform designed for national growth and market scale.
SP: The merger of Ostrich with YugX has its roots in a relationship that evolved over the years. Please share the history behind this unique development.
AG: Ostrich Director Piyush Patel and I first met in 2012 when he was a customer of mine during my Arkel days. What began as a supplier customer relationship gradually evolved into a much deeper professional and personal bond. In 2015, we traveled together to the Asansör Expo in Istanbul — our first overseas trip as friends rather than simply buyer and seller. Over the next decade, we traveled, did business, raised our families and remained closely connected. When I started building YugX, Piyush was independently considering succession options for Ostrich, the conversation evolved naturally. There was no formal courtship; there was simply a decade of trust already in place. The integration was formalized in early 2026, and Piyush joined as director – Projects & Business Development, as well as a shareholder. For me, this reflects the kind of partnerships YugX should be known for: relationships built on trust and shared values, not just transactions.
SP: What is the strategic approach and mindset driving the company’s growth, and how does it distinguish YugX?
AG: Our strategy is to build a brand-led, service-anchored elevator company with the discipline of a technology business. Three principles guide us. First, we own our brand. YugX is not a rebadging exercise; it is a name we are prepared to stand behind for decades. Second, we own our service. Maintenance and modernization are not afterthoughts; they are the foundation of long-term value for both the customer and the company. Third, we grow with intent. Our expansion is planned around regions we can serve exceptionally well, not merely regions we can sell into. What distinguishes us is our willingness to grow patiently. We are not chasing volume for its own sake. Every new installation becomes part of a service base we expect to maintain for decades, and that long-term thinking influences every decision, from recruitment to supplier selection to regional expansion.
SP: How do your years of experience and domain knowledge in the VT industry provide YugX an edge?
AG: I have spent more than two decades in this industry, and most of that journey has been entrepreneurial. My years at Arkel India taught me how to build a national distribution network from the ground up, how to introduce new technology into a conservative market and, most importantly, how to earn trust over time — from customers, consultants and channel partners alike. Those are lessons that cannot be accelerated. That experience gives YugX practical advantages. It helps us evaluate technology partners with clarity — we understand what works in Indian conditions and what remains only good on paper. It helps us build service systems around how elevators actually behave in the field, not how brochures describe them. And it helps us build teams that respect the technical and operational discipline this industry demands. In VT, domain knowledge compounds over time, and YugX is benefiting from that accumulated experience every day.
SP: What is your vision for YugX, and your plans for driving the company’s growth during 2026 and beyond?
AG: My vision for YugX is straightforward: to build India’s most respected premium elevator brand. We are building for a long horizon — a company doing business not in tens of crores, but in hundreds, supported by the governance, operational depth and institutional discipline that such ambition demands. For 2026, our focus is on consolidation and structured expansion. We will complete the integration of Ostrich operations, commission our manufacturing and assembly base at Manjusar, and begin measured expansion beyond Gujarat into adjoining markets. At the same time, we are investing heavily in our service technology stack — the digital backbone that will allow us to monitor, manage and maintain every YugX installation across India. Beyond 2026, the focus shifts toward scale: deeper national presence, broader product offerings and the operating discipline required to prepare a company for long-term institutional ownership. The era we are building YugX for is a long one, and we are intentionally pacing ourselves for that journey.
