About ten years ago, every roadside chai, sabzi, or kirana transaction involved two rituals: finding change, and negotiating over how much you didn’t have. ₹7 for chai? You handed over ₹10 and moved on.
Then came wallets and UPI. Quietly, and without fuss, the QR codes showed up. At first, only a few used them. After 2016, things changed. Cash-hardened consumers, softened by the blow of convenience-tech. No major learning curve, no small talk. Just scan, beep, done. In 2025, from a cash-first society, India became one of the largest online payment users in the world!
That’s the power of convenience. It doesn’t knock loudly. It just fits better into your life, until it becomes impossible to imagine things the old way.
That’s also the hallmark of great brands. They don’t just respond to demand; they create demand by removing friction from your life. As consumers, we rarely articulate what needs fixing. But brands that can listen to unspoken habits, that can spot inefficiencies we’ve come to accept, those are the ones that shape behavior before we even realise it.
Great Shift: From Functional to Frictionless
The average Indian home today has quietly become smarter. Not necessarily through flashy, high-end technology, but through thoughtful upgrades that reduce effort. Consider how we’ve moved from hand-washing clothes to automatic washing machines, or from typing on remote keypads to asking our TVs to play a film. Add to that, smart doorbells, connected lighting, and robotic vacuums, each of them a response to latent consumer needs, not stated ones.
For decades, appliances were evaluated on performance specs: wattage, RPMs, heat settings. But today, that’s a given. What matters to the customers today is, “Does this product understand me? Make my life easier? Reduce my mental load?” The modern consumer doesn’t necessarily want more features. They want more clarity, control, and customisation.
This is where AI and intelligent tech find their relevance. Not as gimmicks, but as enablers of seamless living. A steamer that adjusts settings based on fabric, or a coffee machine that remembers your preferred brew. These aren’t seen as indulgences anymore. They’re becoming the new standard of convenience.
Why AI Is Everywhere. And Also, Not
Yes, AI is powering a wave of smarter appliances, from fridges that monitor freshness to fans that follow you around the room. But here’s the twist: not every great convenience is AI-powered. Sometimes, the best ideas are the simplest ones. A quieter motor, a safer lid, a quicker clean.
Brands need to see AI not as the default, but as a design choice. The real question is: Does it make the product more intuitive? More useful? If the answer is no, it doesn’t belong there. That distinction is crucial. Because while AI is transforming the way we live, shop, and interact, consumers are not chasing technology, they’re chasing ease. Brands that can separate the hype from the help are the ones that will lead in this space.
Of course, we’ve seen AI-powered toothbrushes, ceiling fans, and even frying pans. But as the novelty fades, only those rooted in real consumer benefit will remain.
From Martech to Mindspace
It is a fascinating case study to see how AI and MarTech have amplified each other. AI helps us personalise content, optimise spend, predict preferences, but MarTech is what brings it to life at scale. It predicts needs before they’re voiced, makes brand interactions feel more human, not less.
In that sense, Martech has reframed AI from being a technical utility to a cultural moment. Whether it’s through hyper-localised digital campaigns, real-time creative optimisation, or product recommendation engines. AI is no longer a backend feature, it’s front and centre, shaping perception and behavior.
Consider how deepfake technology moved from controversial novelty to mainstream use in advertising, entertainment, and even political commentary. Or how AI-generated voices, visuals, and assistants are now part of the brand narrative. Why? Because MarTech reframed the “how” into “why not.”
What’s the Real Takeaway?
This isn't about robots replacing humans. It’s about consumers evolving, and brands paying attention. The real winners in this space will not be the most high-tech brands, but the most empathetic ones. The ones that understand that convenience is no longer a luxury. It’s an expectation.
The best ideas in home tech today aren’t the most complex ones. They’re the ones that quietly remove friction.
Like parking sensors, a tiny tweak that changed how millions drive. No hype, no “AI-powered parallel assistance system” pitch.
Just… beep beep beep. And stress, gone.
As homes continue to evolve across metros and emerging markets alike, the appliance industry must keep pace not just with technology, but with people. Their pace, their rituals, and their rising demand for effortlessness.
So, the next time you notice your Air fryer crisping fries perfectly, or your steamer switching modes without asking, remember, that’s not just technology.
That’s marketing, design, and consumer empathy working in harmony.
And the best part? You didn’t even ask for it.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of this publication. The publication is not liable for the accuracy or completeness of the content.