India’s young consumers are giving Samsung’s AI appliance bet a big boost

India is fast becoming a key growth market for Samsung’s AI-powered home appliances, with younger consumers driving a sharp rise in connected devices and pushing the South Korean electronics giant to take AI beyond premium products.

The number of newly connected Samsung appliances in India jumped nearly nine-fold from 82,000 in 2022 to 7.32 lakh last year, according to a PTI report citing Samsung Electronics Vice President and Head of Experience Planning and CX Insight Group, Digital Appliances Business, Bona Lee. Samsung said the company has already surpassed last year’s figure in the first eight months of the current year.

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The surge is being driven largely by younger consumers. Lee said 71% of active SmartThings users in India and Southwest Asia are in their twenties and thirties, compared with a global average of 48%.

“This rapid growth shows the strong potential we see for AI appliances in India,” Lee said, adding that Samsung plans to roll out its AI appliances in India in line with other global markets.

The company’s push is also moving beyond high-end products. More than half of the appliances Samsung currently sells in India are AI-enabled, said JB Park, president and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia. Lee said Samsung would extend AI capabilities to mid-range and entry-level appliances so that more consumers can experience the benefits of AI-enabled devices.

Why Korean electronics giants are betting big on India

Samsung’s AI appliance push comes as South Korean consumer-electronics giants deepen their bets on India, driven by rising incomes, urbanisation and demand for premium, connected homes.

LG Electronics is pursuing a “Zero Labor Home” vision, where AI-powered appliances, connected platforms and home robots automate everyday chores. “India is entering a transformative phase of home appliance premiumisation,” said Young Min Hwang, director, Home Solutions, LG Electronics India.

India is also one of LG’s three strategic growth markets, alongside Saudi Arabia and Brazil. The company is aligning its Greater Noida and Pune plants with its global AI roadmap to make refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and cooking appliances tailored to Indian consumers.

For Samsung, the opportunity is similarly shifting AI appliances beyond premium households as younger, digitally connected consumers drive adoption.

AI moves from premium feature to everyday appliance

The next phase of Samsung’s strategy is to make AI more accessible across price points. Lee said the company has seen strong interest in AI appliances not only at the premium end but also in mid-range and entry-level categories.

Indian consumers are also using AI features more frequently, with Lee saying average usage in India is 10% higher than in other countries.

Samsung’s India Consumer Experience unit found that busy and high-stress urban lifestyles in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are contributing to demand for smarter appliances, according to the PTI report.

The appeal, therefore, is less about AI as a technology buzzword and more about convenience — appliances that can automate tasks, offer personalised functions and fit into increasingly connected urban homes.

Samsung looks beyond premium households

Affordability remains a consideration in India, but Samsung says the relatively lower average selling price of appliances in the country also reflects differences in household lifestyles.

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Lee pointed to refrigerators as an example. While consumers in some overseas markets prefer large-capacity models because they buy and store more frozen food, Indian households tend to favour smaller refrigerators because fresh produce is often purchased more frequently.

Samsung said it also plans to keep the rollout of AI appliances broadly aligned across markets rather than delaying new technology in India by years. Software updates, Lee said, can bring new features to appliances launched from 2024 onwards without requiring consumers to replace their devices.

The company also said more than 95% of Samsung appliances sold in India are manufactured domestically, with a dedicated team working on products tailored to Indian lifestyles.

For Samsung, that combination of local manufacturing, younger connected consumers and demand for convenience is turning India into more than just another appliance market. It is becoming a testing ground for how quickly AI-enabled homes can move from premium technology to everyday consumer products.