The most common question we hear about automation is also the one that cannot be answered over the phone: what does it cost? A motorised curtain is not one product with one price. It is a made-to-measure curtain, a track that can carry a motor, one motor per window, whatever it takes to power that motor, and a way of controlling it. Each of those is a separate line, and the lines multiply with every window you add. This guide explains what moves the total, so that you can read a quote properly and compare two of them fairly. We have not printed any rupee figures here, because a number quoted without measuring your windows would be a guess.
Why a motorised curtain has no single price
With a plain curtain, the cost is mostly fabric, lining and stitching. Our guide to what curtains cost in Kolkata covers those drivers in detail. Motorisation does not replace any of them. The fabric, lining and heading are chosen exactly as they would be for a manual curtain, and the motor is added on top. So a motorised quote is really two quotes stacked together: the curtain, and the system that moves it.
The six things that decide the cost
1. How many motors you need
This is the line that surprises people most. Each track carries its own motor, so five windows means five motors, not one system shared across the house. A centre-opening pair of curtains on a single track is normally driven by one motor, but a bedroom with a window and a balcony door is two tracks and two motors. Before comparing any two quotes, count the motors in each.
2. Battery or hardwired
We fit both. Rechargeable battery motors suit a finished flat, because there is nothing to chase into the wall. Hardwired motors suit new work and permanent installations, but each window then needs a power point or concealed wiring behind it. In practice the wiring is where the budgets differ: a hardwired quote has electrical work in it, a battery quote has a recharging routine in it. Neither is better in general, and a good consultant will tell you which suits each window.
3. The track
A motor does not run on an ordinary rod. It needs a track designed for it, and the track is priced by length, by the weight it must carry, and by shape. A straight track on a plain wall is the simple case. A bay window, a curved opening or a ceiling-recessed track costs more to make and to fit. Our note on curtain rods, tracks and brackets explains the difference between the hardware types.
4. The weight of the curtain
A heavy lined or blackout curtain asks more of a motor than a light sheer, and a wider curtain is heavier still. The motor has to be matched to the curtain, not the other way round, which is why the curtain should be decided before the motor. Choosing a wide, heavy, interlined curtain after the motor has been specified is a common and avoidable mistake.
5. The control layer
The simplest setup is a handheld remote. Adding phone-app control, or linking the curtains to a smart-home or voice system, can bring in an additional control unit depending on the system. That is worth paying for if you will actually use it, and wasteful if you will not. Our guide to smart-home curtains and blinds explains what each level of control involves.
6. Wiring, ceilings and fitting
The building decides this one. In an older flat in Central or North Kolkata with high ceilings, concealed wiring means working around existing plaster and conduits. In a newer apartment, a false-ceiling pocket can hide the track beautifully but has to be planned before the ceiling is closed, or the pocket is cut after the fact. Our own installation team handles the fitting, and it is much cheaper to decide these things at measurement than at installation.
Motorised curtains versus motorised blinds
The same logic applies to blinds, with one important difference: each blind carries its own motor, so a wall of five blinds is five motors. If you are deciding between the two, our comparison of motorised blinds and motorised curtains sets out when each makes sense, and our blinds cost guide covers how blinds are priced. For a first read on the blinds side, see motorised blinds in Kolkata: are they worth it.
Which windows are worth motorising
Because the cost repeats at every window, the smart move is to be selective. Motors earn their cost on windows that are genuinely hard to reach, such as tall or double-height glazing, on very wide or heavy curtains, in bedrooms where you want to close blackout curtains without leaving bed, and on rooms with several windows that you want to operate together. They are rarely worth it on a small window you walk past ten times a day. Many of our clients motorise the living room and master bedroom and leave the rest manual, and that mixed approach is usually the best value. Our guide for villas and luxury homes covers the larger projects.
A checklist for comparing two motorised quotes
When two quotes arrive with different totals, ask for the following in writing for each, line by line.
- The number of motors, and which window each one serves.
- Whether each motor is battery-powered or hardwired, and who arranges the power point for hardwired ones.
- The track type, its length and its rated weight capacity.
- The curtain fabric, lining and heading, priced as a curtain on its own.
- Whether app or voice control is included, and whether it needs an extra control unit.
- Whether measurement, fitting and any wiring are in the price or extra.
- What happens when the power goes off, and whether the curtain can be moved by hand.
- Who services the system after installation, and where you go if it stops responding.
Two quotes that differ by a large amount almost always differ in the first two lines: the motor count or the power arrangement. A cheaper quote with fewer motors is not a cheaper curtain system, it is a smaller one.
Why measure before you budget
Because the track length, the curtain weight, the motor count and the wiring all depend on the actual opening, a figure given without a visit is only a guess. We offer free in-home measurement, so you can see the cost of each window separately and then decide which ones to motorise. If you want to understand what is measured and why, read how to measure for curtains, and for the full buying picture start with our motorised curtains buying guide. You can also see our motorised curtains and motorised blinds pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do motorised curtains cost in Kolkata?
There is no single number, because a motorised curtain is priced as the curtain plus a motorised track, a motor for each window, any wiring, and the control system. The curtain itself is priced exactly as any made-to-measure curtain is. The motorisation is added on top, and it repeats at every window. The honest way to get a figure is to have each window measured and quoted line by line.
Is a battery motor or a hardwired motor cheaper?
A battery motor usually costs less to install because it needs no wiring, which makes it the easier choice for a flat that is already finished. A hardwired motor needs a power point or concealed wiring at each window, so the electrical work becomes part of the cost, but it never needs recharging. Which is right depends on the window, not on a general rule.
Do I need a motor for every window?
Yes, in almost every case each curtain track carries its own motor. A centre-opening pair on one track is usually driven by one motor, but two separate windows are two motors. A quote that gives one price for the whole room without counting motors is hiding the most important line.
Can I motorise my existing curtains?
Often the curtains can stay, but the rod rarely can. Motors run on a track built to take them, so an old rod is normally replaced. Heavy lined or blackout curtains also need a motor rated for their weight, so the curtain’s weight should be checked before a motor is chosen.
What happens to motorised curtains in a power cut?
Ask this before you buy and ask it for the specific system quoted. Battery motors keep working because they do not depend on the mains, and many systems can also be moved by hand. Do not assume; get the answer for the model in your quote.
Can motorised curtains be controlled from my phone or by voice?
Yes. Our motorised systems can be operated by remote, by app, or through a smart-home or voice setup. Depending on the system, app and voice control may need an extra control unit, which is a separate line on the quote.
Can I see motorised curtains working before I order?
Yes. Our showroom at 46 Central Avenue shows remote and app-controlled curtains working, so you can judge the speed, the noise and the feel before you decide.
See motorised curtains working at our Kolkata showroom
Avikar has been dressing Kolkata windows since 1971. Visit us at 46 Central Avenue, Kolkata 700012, open Monday to Saturday, 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM, to see remote and app-controlled curtains running, or ask for a free in-home measurement. Call or WhatsApp 8080095551.
