Samsung scales AI appliance push in India as young consumers drive SmartThings adoption
Samsung says newly connected appliances in India rose from 82,000 in 2022 to 732,000 last year, with more than half of appliances sold now AI-enabled. The company plans to extend AI features beyond premium lines into mid-range and entry-level products.
What happened
Samsung is accelerating AI appliance adoption in India, driven by young SmartThings users and local manufacturing. It plans to expand AI capabilities from
Key facts
- Newly connected Samsung appliances in India rose nearly nine-fold from 82,000 in 2022 to 7.32 lakh last year
- Samsung surpassed last year's connected-appliance figure in the first eight months of the current year
- 71% of active SmartThings users in India and Southwest Asia are in their twenties and thirties, versus 48% globally
- More than half of Samsung appliances sold in India are AI-enabled
- Average AI-feature usage in India is 10% higher than in other countries
- More than 95% of Samsung appliances sold in India are manufactured domestically
Why this matters
Samsung’s broadening AI appliance strategy raises the strategic value of Indian partnerships in connectivity, local software, service networks, and affordable smart-home ecosystems.
What to watch
- Samsung's India connected-appliance activations and monthly active SmartThings households, not just AI-enabled units sold.
- Share of mid-range and entry-level models carrying Wi-Fi, sensors and AI features.
- Price gaps between connected and non-connected appliances across refrigerators, ACs, washers and TVs.
- Competitor launches, financing offers and SmartThings interoperability announcements.
- Evidence that energy-management features reduce electricity bills and drive repeat use.
- Growth in service requests, installation capacity and consumer complaints related to connectivity or privacy.
- Bundle SmartThings-compatible appliances with smartphones, TVs, financing and installation to raise multi-device household adoption.
- Emphasize energy savings, predictive maintenance and local-language automation rather than abstract AI messaging.
- Expand retailer demonstrations and post-sale onboarding to improve connected-device activation rates.
- Use India usage data to develop locally relevant AI modes for heat, water quality, power interruptions and compact homes.
- Offer tiered subscriptions or service plans cautiously, prioritizing free core utility features to avoid adoption friction.