The smart home industry is on an upswing. With the advent of voice assistance like Alexa and Google Home, the awareness of home automation has increased exponentially. A better connectivity has also helped the home automation industry a great deal. More and more homes are getting automated these days. Home automation immensely contributes to energy savings while easing out mundane task. Speaking on smart homes, Huzefa Poonawala, GIC Theben, Pune, says, “Earlier automation was only limited to Video Door phones and security, but today the entire eco system of a home is getting integrated”.
Which segment of the economic strata or age-groups are more inclined towards setting up automated homes in India?
Earlier, home automation was limited to the top strata of society, but today even the middle class aspires to have automation at home. Young individuals are not the only ones who are looking for home automation. Home automation can also help senior citizens to ease their lives. Since quite a time, this has been very common in the western countries, but slowly this is getting accepted in India as well.
What do you think is a must-have product/service in homes to ensure utmost security these days? And why?
Basic lighting automation and HVAC control should be in the must-have list. We still have a long way to go in energy savings.
Today, in a country where there is a big gap in demand and supply of electricity, we must promote automation to save energy. A simple motion sensor can ensure savings in energy and also reduce the number of touch points in an office. All this automation can be controlled on KNX through “KNX Secure” which again ensures data security for any individual or organization using automation.
What are the perks of being a part of KNX association?
Being a part of KNX is definitely a big advantage. We can understand the needs of the customers better and then collaborate to ensure that these needs are addressed in the most suitable manner. KNX always gives flexibility to the customer on what to use.
What are the current challenges the home automation industry is facing and what steps according to you should be taken to overcome these challenges?
The biggest challenge faced today by the home automation industry is the awareness amongst users on the ease of use in home automation. Still many users think that home automation means needing a lot of technical know how to operate simple things. To spread this awareness, digital media could be a very good platform. Today most consumers have access to social media. It becomes an excellent medium to address large sections of society who would be interested in home automation.
What are your thoughts on the particular industry’s contribution towards the mass?
The home automation industry plays a key role in easing out ones tasks and automating mundane activities. It also helps with energy saving solutions.
How do you foresee the future of the smart home sector 8-10 years down the line?
10 years down the line most homes would have some or the other kind of automation. There would be standard norms in place to ensure that each and every home has automation. With the present situation of climate change / pandemics etc. automation would not be a luxury but a necessity.
