NEED OF AUTOMATED CAR PARKING SYSTEMS IN INDIA..
Nextkraft’s Ashish Majithia on Mumbai’s parking crisis, automated systems, and the future of smart urban infrastructure.
As India’s urban centres grapple with rising vehicle ownership and shrinking land availability, the challenge of efficient parking has become more pressing than ever-particularly in dense metros like Mumbai. In this exclusive interaction with Mid-Day Online, Ashish Majithia, Founder & CEO of Nextkraft Parking Technologies, sheds light on the growing parking crisis, the evolution of automated parking systems in India, and how technology-driven, space-efficient solutions are set to redefine urban infrastructure in the years ahead.
India’s major cities are struggling with parking shortages. How serious is the problem today, particularly in metros like Mumbai?
Mumbai has more than 4 million vehicles, but only around 1.5 million organized parking spaces are available across the city. This significant mismatch highlights a major infrastructure gap, putting immense pressure on roads, residential areas, and public spaces. As vehicle ownership grows rapidly, the space available for parking is shrinking. Traditional parking layouts simply cannot support the density of vehicles we are seeing today. In many cases, plots that once accommodated a handful of cars now need to support several times that number. This is where automated and vertical parking solutions become extremely relevant. By utilizing vertical space intelligently, we can significantly increase parking capacity without expanding the footprint, making it a practical solution for dense urban environments.
Nextkraft has grown rapidly in a short time. Can you share the company’s journey and current scale?
Nextkraft was founded in 2021 with a vision to transform urban parking infrastructure through smart and efficient solutions. In a short span of time, the company has grown rapidly, successfully delivering over 100 projects across various sectors and has emerged as a trusted and preferred partner for leading real estate developers, delivering reliable and innovative automated parking solutions.
Supporting this growth and commitment to quality, Nextkraft operates a 40,000 square feet state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This in-house facility enables the company to maintain strict quality control, ensure precision engineering, and efficiently scale production to meet the evolving demands of modern urban developments.
What inspired the creation of Nextkraft Parking Technologies, and what market gap were you trying to address?
When automated parking systems first entered India around the mid-2000s, the concept was promising but the execution often fell short. There were concerns around safety, reliability, and lack of standardization. Many systems were installed without strong engineering expertise or clear regulatory guidelines, which led to operational issues. We recognized the need for a company that would focus on robust engineering, strict safety standards, and end-to-end technical control. That gap inspired us to establish Nextkraft Parking Technologies, with a strong focus on engineering quality, safety, and end-to-end technical control from design to installation.
Are automated parking systems still perceived as a luxury amenity, or are they becoming essential for developers?
For developers today, efficient parking is no longer optional. Buyers expect adequate parking as a basic requirement, whether it’s residential or commercial real estate. In fact, projects that fail to address parking effectively often struggle with market acceptance. Automated parking allows developers to optimize land usage and offer sufficient parking even on constrained plots. While end users are still getting accustomed to the technology, adoption is steadily increasing as people experience its convenience and reliability.
Which sectors are currently driving the strongest demand for automated parking solutions in India?
Residential and commercial developments are currently leading the demand. With shrinking plot sizes in urban areas, developers are actively exploring vertical parking to maximize space efficiency. At the same time, public infrastructure presents enormous potential. For example, railway stations, transit hubs, and dense commercial districts have large parking demands but limited land availability. With the right policy framework and planning support, automated parking could play a significant role in addressing these challenges.
Developers often worry about costs and maintenance. How do automated systems compare with conventional parking structures in the long run?
Developers often have concerns about costs and long-term maintenance. However, in many cases, automated parking systems can be more cost-effective than conventional parking structures over time. Constructing traditional parking typically requires large basements or podium structures, which involve significant excavation, civil work, and structural costs.
In comparison, automated parking systems can optimize available space and reduce the need for extensive basement construction, helping lower overall development costs. Additionally, with structured maintenance and efficient system design, automated solutions can provide reliable performance while improving space utilization, making them a practical and economical option for urban developments in the long run.
Automated systems maximize land utilization, which directly enhances the economic viability of real estate projects. Maintenance is also predictable when proper systems and trained operators are in place. Additionally, modern systems incorporate multiple safety and monitoring features, making them reliable and efficient over the long term.
Safety and reliability remain concerns for many users. How does Nextkraft address these issues?
Safety is at the core of our engineering approach. Our systems incorporate multiple layers of protection, including mechanical and electrical redundancies that prevent any uncontrolled movement. We are in process to integrate fail-safe mechanisms similar to those used in elevators to ensure maximum reliability. In addition, we emphasize proper operator training and routine maintenance so that the system performs smoothly throughout its lifecycle.
With electric vehicles gradually entering the Indian market, how will parking infrastructure need to evolve?
Electric vehicles will significantly influence how parking infrastructure is designed. Charging facilities will become a key requirement within parking systems, particularly overnight charging for residential users. Our design philosophy already incorporates EV-ready infrastructure in many parking systems so that charging stations can be seamlessly integrated within automated parking solutions. This ensures that the parking infrastructure built today remains compatible with the mobility needs of the future.
What role can policy and urban planning play in accelerating the adoption of automated parking solutions?
Policy support can make a huge difference. Clear safety standards, supportive regulations, and incentives for automated parking infrastructure can encourage wider adoption. Urban planning authorities can also integrate automated parking solutions into transport hubs, commercial districts, and dense residential areas. If implemented strategically, such initiatives can significantly ease congestion and improve overall urban mobility.
The automated parking sector is becoming increasingly competitive. What differentiates Nextkraft in this space?
The automated parking sector is becoming increasingly competitive, but our biggest differentiator is our strong commitment to engineering quality and safety. At Nextkraft, we manage the entire lifecycle of our systems internally; from design and manufacturing to installation and AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract). This integrated approach allows us to maintain strict quality control and technical oversight at every stage.
In addition, we benchmark our systems against international safety practices while designing solutions that are practical and well-suited to Indian urban conditions. This combination of engineering depth, end-to-end capabilities, and safety focus enables us to deliver parking solutions that are reliable, efficient, and built for long-term performance.
How will smart technology and AI transform parking infrastructure in the future?
Smart technology and AI will play a significant role in transforming parking infrastructure in the future. AI-driven monitoring systems will enable real-time tracking of parking operations, helping identify issues early and ensuring smoother system performance. In addition, predictive maintenance will allow operators to detect potential technical problems before they occur, reducing downtime and improving reliability.
Looking ahead to 2030, how do you see parking evolving in dense cities like Mumbai?
By 2030, parking in dense cities like Mumbai will evolve from being a simple storage space for vehicles to becoming a smart, technology-driven component of urban infrastructure. With limited land availability and rapidly growing vehicle ownership, cities will increasingly adopt automated, vertical, and high-density parking systems to maximize the use of available space. Multi-level automated parking, robotic systems, and compact stacking solutions will become more common in residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments.
In addition, digital integration will play a major role in the evolution of parking. Smart systems that allow users to locate, reserve, and access parking through mobile platforms will become standard, improving convenience and significantly reducing the time spent searching for parking spaces. Parking facilities will also increasingly incorporate features such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure and other technology-driven solutions that support more efficient and sustainable urban developments.
At Nextkraft, our vision is to contribute to this transformation by continuously innovating and delivering scalable, safe, and efficient parking solutions. By leveraging automation and smart design, we aim to help cities optimize scarce space while creating a more seamless and convenient parking experience for developers and end users.