Tech controlled Homes: Remote access

How many times have you been dogged by the persistent thought of having left your geyser on and are troubled by the this the whole day till someone from the family comes home early and switches off the appliance? Though this has cost implications, it is also a major safety concern. This might be a random problem but getting up multiple times at night every day to switch on and off the air conditioner is one of the most common problems faced by all of us. What if you could pre-set your air-conditioner timer as per your convenience and enjoyed a long, peaceful and undisturbed sleep. When was the last time that happened?  

Now imagine, if you could control these and other appliances at home from any corner of the globe and all you needed was a smartphone. Sounds simple. And, it is.

The evolutions of smartphone and newer technology advancements in the field of home automation have made remote controlling of appliances a possibility today. And the advantages of the home automation are not limited to controlling of appliances or devices but extend to energy management, energy conservation, monetary savings, and security. Picostone, Silvan, Pert.me and Smitch are some of the start-ups that are continuously innovating in the field of home automation in India.

Virang Jhaveri, the co-founder of Picostone Tech, is working towards developing tech-based affordable home automation products in India. He informs ‘Home automation, though a 4-decade old segment, remained limited to the affluent class as the products were expensive and required re-wiring for enabling operations. We have focussed on affordable wireless technology, which requires Wi-Fi services, to reach to a larger audience across India.’

The home automation industry is expected to be around Rs 32,000 crore by the end of 2030 and has been steadily growing across all metros as new age products are affordable and allow partial automation of homes. ‘People are experimenting with this technology by partially automating their homes to understand the advantages of adopting these products’ add Virang. ‘We have witnessed a huge transaction amongst the youth who start the home automation process by deploying products that control basic appliances like fans, lights, television and air conditioners to begin with’ he further adds.

But one of the major concerns about adopting the remote technology was the integration of the home automation products with the existing wire-based electrical system in our homes. Niket Sarvaiya, co-founder of Picostone Tech says ‘We understood the challenge of product installation into the existing system. Our products are designed to easily integrate with the wire technology and any experienced electrician can install this product behind the switchboard in less than 15 minutes. Once the product is installed, all you need is Wi-Fi connectivity and Picostone app download on the smartphone. You are ready to go.’ 

Picostone started operation in November 2016 and in less than 18 months of operations; the start-up has successfully forayed into 21 cities in India and has automated more than 1,800 homes and numerous offices. The start-up recently automated the entire clubhouse and meeting rooms for one of the projects of India’s leading developer Rustomjee and is talks with other leading developers to provide automated homes. ‘We see a huge potential in this segment as new age home buyers are looking at tech-based amenities that provides access and control of their homes be it from the bio-metric entrance, remote access to home appliance and premise security’ adds Niket.      

Major metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru are the front-runners in accepting this technology and tier I & II locations are slowly opening up to this in comparison. There is a huge potential for growth as the majority of the homes in India still use switch-based technology without remote access and with affordable products that are simple to use, provide monetary benefits and are an easy install, home automation segment in India is bound to surpass the industry expectations.   

So next time you have a doubt about anything left unattended, just click on your smartphone to get rid of your misery. After all, the smartphone has to act smart.