The three common door styles
Casement, sliding, and French doors are the most common uPVC door styles for Indian homes, and each suits a different kind of opening.
Casement doors
Side-hinged, opening outward like a traditional door. They give a full, unobstructed opening — useful when you want the whole width genuinely clear, not partially covered by a sliding panel. They need clearance on the side they swing toward, so they're less suited to tight balconies or walkways.
Sliding doors
Panels move horizontally along a track, with no outward swing. This makes them the natural choice for balconies, walkways, or anywhere floor space on either side is limited. The trade-off: roughly half the opening is always covered by the stationary panel, so the usable clear width is less than the full frame width.
French doors
A hinged pair opening from the center, giving a wide, classic double-door look. They need clearance on both sides when open, and tend to suit larger openings — a garden-facing living room, a wide balcony access point — more than compact spaces.
A simple way to think about it
If floor space around the door is tight, sliding is usually the practical choice. If you want the full opening genuinely clear and have room for the swing, casement or French are worth considering — French specifically when the opening is wide enough that a single casement panel would feel oversized.