Mountain Planet: India is emerging as the most dynamic market in the world for cable transport.

Mountain Planet, the largest international trade fair dedicated to mountain development and cable transport, will take place in Grenoble from 21 to 23 April 2026. Among the many foreign delegations expected at the show, the delegation from India is being particularly anticipated by European ropeway manufacturers. After Colombia, Peru, China… India has now become the new global hub for cable transport, combining innovation for urban mobility with the opening-up of rural and tourist areas in mountainous regions. While India has three ski resorts (Gulmarg, Auli and Manali) with around twenty lifts, cable transport answers India’s urgent need for alternative transport solutions.

In the mountainous regions of northern India there are several peaks above 7,000 metres. Skiing was introduced there by Europeans in the early 1970s and became popular among some foreign skiers. Although some Indians do enjoy skiing, most of them are not yet familiar with this discipline. Some operators had considered developing more modern ski areas, but these projects have not materialised so far. The current offer of ski areas in India remains limited.[1] However, the need to improve tourist and religious connectivity as well as urban mobility in high-traffic areas is now positioning cable transport as one of the transport modes of the future in India.

The global cable transport market is experiencing sustained growth and India is becoming the next major expansion field for European manufacturers. Driven by the national programme “Parvatmala Pariyojana” (National Ropeways Development Programme), this soft, ground-independent mode of transport is establishing itself as a sustainable, efficient and cost-effective alternative in urban environments and in difficult, mountainous terrain. India, with 1.43 billion inhabitants[2], plans to build more than 200 ropeway lines by 2030, with a total length of 1,200 kilometres and a public budget of more than 13 billion euros. This ambitious state-supported plan offers European industries the opportunity to combine growth, innovation and commitment to sustainable mobility.

The first urban public ropeway in India, in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, will be opening soon. Construction work on the ropeway is progressing rapidly.

In 2025, 25 new projects are being prepared in 10 states. With flagship projects soon to become operational in Varanasi, Kedarnath and Girnar, cable transport is establishing itself as a model of sustainable mobility. Other cities such as Mumbai, Aizawl, Shimla could soon join this group of cities committed to green aerial mobility through ropeways. In Varanasi, the study shows that passengers save 75 % of time — travel time is reduced from 45 minutes on the ground today to just 16 minutes via cable — with a capacity of 96,000 passengers per day. Elsewhere in the country, cable transport is set to become a revolution in mountain mobility. The gondola currently under construction linking the towns of Sonprayag – Kedarnath (12.9 km) will reduce travel time from the current 8–9 hours to just 36 minutes, with a capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction. Located in the Rudraprayag district between two sacred rivers (Basuki and Mandakini), Sonprayag is an important Hindu pilgrimage site, renowned for its spiritual significance and natural beauty.

Whether for religious projects (Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib), urban ones (Varanasi, Aizawl) or tourist projects (Kerala), the future Indian cable transport network will also be a major lever for local and national development — combining efficient mobility, tourism, accessibility and ecological frugality. India has chosen cable transport as the flagship of its mobility because it represents a forward-looking mode of transport with multiple advantages: significantly lower costs than building roads/tunnels in mountainous terrain, rapid construction, high reliability/safety, extremely low land use, low energy consumption and no CO₂ emissions.

The massive financial support — estimated at more than 13 billion euros — includes blended financing of 60 % of construction costs borne by the state and 40 % by private operators, as well as the commitment of the world’s key players and manufacturers to invest in India (at least 50 % of the components of each installation must be manufactured locally, in accordance with the “Make in India” policy). All of this shows that cable transport will soon carry masses of tourists as well as city dwellers… For European manufacturers such as Doppelmayr, Leitner, Poma, MND Ropeways… who are global leaders in cable transport thanks to their expertise, their projects around the world, the highest safety standards and their technologies … India now represents an essential market for tourist and urban projects. A market of more than 13 billion euros by 2030, which is expected to become the largest in the world for all major European manufacturers.

Market — Key figures:

• Number of identified projects: 360 projects under development or study, including 200 under the Parvatmala programme

• Target of 1,200 km of lines by 2030 — one of the largest in the world

• Estimated budget: more than 13 billion euros

• Uses: urban, pilgrimage, tourism

• Governance: national programme “Parvatmala Pariyojana” under the supervision of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and implemented by the state-owned National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), a 100 % subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India.

[1] World Report Snow Tourism 2025 by Swiss expert Laurent Vanat

[2] UN Source 2025

About Mountain Planet: Created in 1974 in Grenoble (France), MOUNTAIN PLANET is the global trade fair for mountain development and the mountain industry, held at ALPEXPO, the event park in Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. As the international gathering for mountain development, showcasing the latest innovations and market trends, this major event for mountain professionals brings together the entire global mountain ecosystem every two years (industry, elected officials, communities, accommodation providers, ski area operators…). It enables professionals in the sector to present innovations and the latest trends/technologies for the sustainable development of the mountains in summer and winter. Each edition of MOUNTAIN PLANET welcomes more than 900 international exhibitors and brands. The exhibition area covers 60,000 m². More than 20,000 professional visitors from over 68 countries attend. The 2026 edition of MOUNTAIN PLANET will take place from 21 to 23 April 2026 in Grenoble-ALPEXPO (France). 

https://www.mountain-planet.com/