Once limited to luxury or super-tech buildings, home automation is proving to be an increasingly basic and affordable addition to architectural projects, whether for new buildings or renovations. While it can be extremely complex to understand how they operate, technology’s primary purpose is to make life simpler, safer, and easier. By definition, home automation seeks to be globally smart, functioning as a system that facilitates processes without complicating the user’s life unnecessarily. The idea is to connect devices that, in turn, connect and talk through a centralized control unit that can be accessed by computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Lights, appliances, electrical outlets, heating, and cooling systems are included, as are alarms, doors, windows, smoke detectors, surveillance cameras, and many other sensors and equipment.
For example, domestic automation users can turn on and off lights each day at certain times, adjust the heater or air conditioner to turn on a few minutes before arriving home, or switch all the lights on when the security system alarm is triggered. Furthermore, monitoring applications can also provide accurate home information by generating detailed reports on equipment that might work better or spend less. As systems like Google Home, Alexa, and Amazon Echo become increasingly common and more sophisticated, artificial intelligence is increasing in integrating diverse applications into residential spaces, also known as the Internet of Things. To recognize patterns, process information, and perform tasks, both via commands and automatically, in addition to smartphones and computers (1).
Almost all aspects of life have been reviewed by the world’s entry into the digital world, one of which is the New Age’s smart homes (2). The most remarkable evolution. Automation, which is referred to as the method, technique, or organization by which electronic gadgets may operate or control a process and minimize human interference, has grown in the last two decades as the new vertical industry. The days have gone by when people have to inspect the house twice before leaving so that there are no leaflets, fans, or appliances left. The age of automation in which relay modules, sensors, and automated systems ensure optimum electricity use and equipment. Furthermore, in recent years, AI has evolved to develop automatic systems and take decisions based on cases. This leap has opened a great way for business people to explore innovative ideas and exploit them.
Growth of Home Automation
A new report says that the global smart home automation market will reach 130 billion dollars by 2025. The increased demand for the smart home automation system’s convenience and real-time operation increased smart home automation growth and penetration. The need to integrate a smart home automation concept was created to deal with rising challenges by an increasingly urban and geriatric population. Furthermore, the demand for smartphones and easy Internet access is expected to boost demand growth in the future. Increasing automation is expected to revolutionize the market by 2025 in safety, lighting, HVAC and energy, and a smart kitchen (3).
The market has been segmented based on cellular, wireless, and other smart home automation technologies. The market is divided into security, lighting, entertainment, HVAC & energy management, and smart kitchens based on applications. The entertainment industry is the largest application sector for sizes, with high demand for home theatres, touch-screens, audio, video controls, and other entertainment controls expected to dominate the forecast period. Smart Home Automation’s growing consciousness and popularity encourage producers to invest in research and development to produce better products (4). The increasing demand for smart home automation can be recognized to increase consumer preference for convenience, connectivity, security, and safety.
With the increasing Internet of Things penetration and increased Internet access, users have been encouraged to adopt smart home automation systems utilizing direct digital controls for the better maker to machine (M2M) (5). The installation of automatic systems has been simplified by introducing various wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. Wireless technology is far less harmful, low configuration costs, and easier to use. The worldwide market for smart home automation in 2016 was worth 46 billion dollars and is projected to become increasingly popular over the forecast period as residential homes are rapidly being bought. The increasing demand for such features as remote operating convenience and smart home automation’s outstanding experience is likely to drive global market growth throughout the projected period. The growing urban population and the growing geriatric population created the need to incorporate smart home automation to address the challenges.
Opportunities are expected to be enormous about smart home automation systems’ advances using mobile devices, applications, and other platforms over time (6). Speedy advances and the use of such technologies to add value to urban service provision in a smart home automation system require authorization to develop new methods sustainably. This could include integrating hardware, software, and service, which would enhance the environmental competitiveness of the smart home automation systems. In the product itself, IT is becoming an essential part. The product cloud, in which some applications are operated and product data are analyzed and saved, is built into processors, software, connectivity, and embedded sensors driving major improvement in product performance and functionality.
India’s entry into Home automation
The efficiency of the home automation market in India is one of the driving forces. In particular, many cities, particularly Pune and Mumbai, have been experiencing significant annual growth in adopting smart home systems supported by various competitors offering domestic automation at low cost, thereby increasing the scope of Indian domestic automation. Economic video monitoring for security solutions integrated with real-time analytics will boost India’s domestic market growth. Furthermore, smart kitchen appliances such as smart coffee makers, smart ovens, smart cookers, and smart grills have improved IoT for smart homes, which continue to offer the players in India’s domestic automation market profitable business opportunities. India’s home automation market size was valued at 1790 million dollars in 2018 and is expected to reach 13574 million dollars by 2026, growing at 29 percent CAGR during the forecast period 2019 to 2026 (7).
Smart home start-ups such as Oakter, Inoho, IFIHomes, and Home Brain have increased in India due to India’s government programs such as Make in India and Digital India. Many players are developing advanced technology and devices for the smart home industry in India. For example, Schneider Electric launched Easergy P3 (8) on the Indian market in May 2018. It is a medium voltage protection relay that combines real-time analytics with advanced technologies and solutions powered by the Internet of Things. Similarly, Apple Inc. has developed HomeKit that allows iPhone users to control individual smart home devices, such as garage door openers, lights, and security cameras. These factors provide significant growth opportunities for India’s smart home market.
India’s home automation market is segmented by product, technology, and end-user. India’s home automation market is divided into lighting, security, and even safety, HVAC, entertainment, and others by product. The segment of lighting is further divided into relays, dimmers, switches, and others. Security & security is divided into bells, locks, security cameras, and others. In 2018, India’s home automation share was the highest in the Security & Security segment due to urbanization growth. The HVAC segment is further classified as thermostats, sensors, control valves, and others. Entertainment is divided into a home theatre, audio, volume, and multimedia controls (9).
Building a sector: The startup story
Automation uses power, both effective and practical, and reduces a large part of the waste. Houses in the 21st century will become increasingly self-controlled and automated because of the consolation it gives. The consistent evolution of Home Automation also encompassed the control and automation of lighting, heating, machinery, and safety. The home automation market is required to reach thirty thousand Crores by 2023. Home automation is consistently recognized across segments in India with the development of innovation and Wi-Fi-based gadgets. Home automation gadgets such as motion sensors and remote control units have increased interest over the last few years (10).
These gadgets, also incorporated with voice-based or action-based Artificial Intelligence gadgets such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or others, improve functionality and make automation more advanced. With such great potential, AI has become a new enhanced feature in home automation, allowing entrepreneurs to make a breakthrough in this growing sector.
In India, the smart home market is driven by an increase in the number of start-ups that aim to make affordable smart home products attractive to a larger section of the population. The Indian Government’s efforts to encourage the Make in India initiative and the Digital India campaign, along with the goal of smart city development, all have an impact on the adoption of smart devices in homes. The potential of smart devices to implement smoothly into current facilities without needing numerous changes in wiring while also meeting the aim of enabling automation makes it attractive to homes in India. Home automation does not create many problems for the user.
Home automation and IoT services see a rise in implementation in the Indian subcontinent with new and much more inexpensive innovative technologies. Consumers are increasingly supporting smart speakers and voice-controlled innovations that give rise to smart revolutions due to various associated benefits such as user convenience, enhanced security, and huge energy savings that can be achieved over the long term. Automation start-ups, which help companies reduce costs and improve user experience, are expected to gain momentum in India and worldwide by 2021 as the economy recovers and business returns to pre-pandemic levels.
