India Guide

Smart Home Automation In India

India is not one type of home. Mumbai high rises, Bengaluru tech apartments, Coimbatore villas, Delhi farmhouses, Tier 2 row houses, and village homes with inverters and DG.

ApartmentsVillasFarmhousesTier 2 Cities

Why Smart Homes Make Extra Sense In India

#1

Power Cuts, Inverters And DG

Indian Reality
  • Power cuts in many cities and most towns
  • Mix of inverters, DG backup, sometimes solar
  • Voltage fluctuations in many areas
Smart Home Must
  • Restart gracefully after power failures
  • Work smoothly on inverter or DG
  • Keep critical logic local, not fully cloud dependent
#2

Multi Generational, Staff, Guests

Indian Reality
  • Parents, kids, sometimes grandparents
  • Helpers, drivers, cooks coming and going
  • Guests staying over frequently
Smart Home Must
  • Parents: simple switches and remotes
  • You: app, scenes and voice
  • Staff: fixed, easy routines
  • Guests: no confusion
#3

Heat, Dust, Humidity

Indian Reality
  • Coastal salt air
  • Dry dust and high heat
  • Insects and moisture
Smart Home Must
  • Proper enclosures and correct placement
  • Designs that account for real conditions
  • Integrators with actual Indian installation experience

Reality: Cheap Wi-Fi switches are not built for Indian complexity.

What A Real Indian Smart Home Should Include

Forget "just for show" RGB lights. Focus on things that make a daily difference.

Smart Lighting

  • Scenes: Morning, Pooja, WFH, Dinner, Movie, Goodnight
  • Control: Normal switches + touch panels
  • App and voice control
  • Works even if internet dies

Gate, Door & Access

  • Motorised sliding or swing gate
  • Video door phone / smart lock
  • One tap: gate + lights + unlock
  • Staff and visitor logging

Climate & Energy

  • AC off when balcony doors open
  • Geyser on schedule and auto off
  • Track heavy loads (AC, heaters, motors)
  • Solar integration for smarter use

Security

  • Door/window sensors on key points
  • Motion sensors in key zones
  • Smart siren + instant alerts
  • Auto arming: Home, Away, Night

Already have a floor plan?

New Home In India: How To Plan From Day One

If your flat or villa is under design or construction, you can either do it right once or pay twice later.

1Pick Your Automation Level

Level 1

Core Smart

  • Smart lighting in key rooms
  • Basic app control
Level 2

Whole Home

  • Whole home lighting
  • Basic security
  • A few motorised elements
Level 3

Full Living Home

  • Lighting + Access + Security
  • Network and controller
  • Motorisation
  • Future AI/robotics ready

2Wiring And Panels

  • Structured cabling for data, not just random LAN points
  • Dedicated automation panels, not stuffing modules behind switches
  • Clear segregation: Lighting, Power, AC, Backup (inverter/DG)

This defines whether upgrades later will be simple or a nightmare.

3Network Backbone

In a Living Home, network is a utility like water. One bad router kills everything.

  • Proper access points by floor/zone
  • UPS for router, controller and core switches
  • Optionally separate IoT traffic from main user traffic

Rough Cost Range For Smart Homes In India

Ballpark for a typical 3 BHK. Final cost depends on brand, city, finish and scope.

Basic Smart

₹2.5–4L
  • Smart lighting
  • App control
  • Basic scenes
Most Common

Strong Integration

₹4–7L
  • Full scenes
  • Nicer panels
  • More integration

Full Living Home

₹7–15L
  • Lighting + Security
  • Basic motorisation
  • Proper network
  • Controller backbone

Main truth: It is far cheaper to design correctly at civil/electrical stage than to redo wiring and panels after interiors.

Why Work With A Living Homes Partner Instead Of Just Buying Gadgets

Random Gadgets Online

  • Ten apps
  • No central logic
  • No documentation
  • No long term support

Living Homes Partner

  • One brain for entire home
  • Coordinates with architect, builder, electrician
  • Documents everything
  • Plans upgrade path
  • Understands Indian conditions

Onwords brings:

400+ smart home projects6000+ gate automations

System design built on what actually survives in real Indian homes.

India's Future: AI, Robotics And Living Homes

Clear line:

As of now, Onwords does not sell home robots or humanoids. We build robotics-ready Living Homes. Our roadmap looks at adding a robotics layer around 2027 and beyond.

What this means for you:

If your home is wired, networked and automated correctly today—adding advanced AI, patrol robots or humanoid assistants tomorrow becomes an upgrade, not a rebuild.

Common Mistakes Indian Homeowners Make

Brutally honest list.

Buying cheap Wi-Fi modules and expecting stability
Treating CCTV, security, lighting, gate and AV as separate projects
Letting the electrician "figure out" smart wiring
Ignoring network quality
Spending big on marble and false ceilings, cutting budget on the brain of the house

If budget is limited: Reduce fancy finishes slightly and invest properly in backbone. You can upgrade lights and switches later. Changing wiring and panels is painful.

FAQs: Smart Home Automation In India

Ready To Turn Your Indian Home Into A Living Home?

Smart home automation in India is no longer a party trick. It is a practical upgrade to how Indian families already live—with power cuts, staff, multi-generational setups and frequent travel.