Suppose you return home tired from work, and speaking to the air, all your lights are switched on, your favorite songs commence playing and the AC is set at a comfort level. Let me introduce you to the future as it is not far from today – smart homes, a thing that can no longer be considered experimental in India but a thing that is closer to reality than it is to science fiction.

By 2024, smart home devices are not the gadgets only for the early adopters but the downright necessary accessories for living a comfortable life. Whether one is a business executive, a woman managing her home, or a computer literate teenager, there is a smart device especially for you. But as you can see you’re spoiled for choice – so where does that leave you? Here is a breakdown of the main smart home devices that can help you turn your Indian home smart this year.

1. Smart Speakers: Your Personal Assistant at Home

A man inside of an Apple store holds a cellphone in one hand and photographs a smart speaker device, Apple Homepod.

Voice assistants such as Amazon’s Echo or Google Nest have become the cornerstone of most smart homes. These gadgets are not only MP3 players; they are a personal assistant, at least, that is what they are slowly becoming. If you want to remind your partner about an important meeting coming up? Just ask. If you are among those who wish to know the temperatures before stepping out of the house, then this is for you. It’s at your command. These speakers can operate other intelligent devices in your home such as bulbs, fans, climate, and security and therefore acts as the master device of your smart house.

Smart speakers have been a revelation for Indian homes where juggling multiple roles is not a question of if but when. You are in the kitchen preparing a meal, and suddenly you are required to estimate teaspoons to tablespoons, ask your smart speaker. It’s that easy.

2. Smart Lights: Setting the Mood Effortlessly

Lights can make all the difference in the feel of your house, and with the Philips Hue or Wipro smartlights for example, you can turn them on or off with your phone or words. Starring at the beautiful screen, one might want to turn off the lights and cuddle. Or maybe you like getting up to the soft artificial glow of sun in the morning? The heads up light can do all this and much more.

In India where there are regular power cuts in some areas, they can also flick on/off at predetermined time hence conserving electricity. Also, they are ideal most especially during festivals such as Diwali where it is very convenient to switch between striking colors.

3. Smart Security Systems: Peace of Mind, Anytime

Security of the house is always a concern for people and with smart security systems, one can have a look at the house anytime they wish to. These can range from the Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera to the Ring Video Doorbell that has live video, motion detectors and alerts, two way talk through your phone and more.

In Indian context, things like smart security systems are very useful because many members of a family have to travel for work or studies and there is always the need of knowing that the rest of the members of the family are safe back at home. Be it to monitor your elderly parents or keep a check on your house when you are on a vacation, these systems are a necessity today’s Indian household.

4. Smart Plugs: Making Any Appliance Smart

Still do not want to plunge into a full-fledged smart home system? Begin with this by starting with the smart plug. They allow you to switch on any electric appliance you wish – it can be a fan, a lamp or a water boiler, for instance. As we have seen there are cheap brands like TP-Link and Syska with easy set up.

Smart plugs are specifically useful to be installed in Indian homes, as power usage is always on people’s mind. With the use of smart home, you can set the time for appliance to switch on and off so as to avoid forgetting to switch off the iron at morning or to heat the water before taking shower at morning.

5. Smart Thermostats and AC Controllers: Comfort with a Tap

India: With diverse climate year round, a smart thermostat or AC controller would definitely help save money on A/Con for everybody everywhere. Equipment such as the Sensibo Sky can transform an outdated air conditioner into a modern one, providing remote monitoring and programing capacities along with energy consumption details.

These are great if the appraiser is coming on in your home during hot summer months as you can cool down your house before stepping inside. You could, say during a winter day moments before your return home.

Bringing It All Together

Smart home devices are supposed to work together. This makes it possible to create routines that fit into your lifestyle. Picture a morning where your smart lights slowly brighten, the speaker begins playing your favorite wake-up playlist and that coffee pot starts brewing—all without having to program each device every day.

The time for building a smart home in India is now, with up and coming technology available at lower price points that ever before. If you want to add some extra security features, or save energy costs by making your home that little bit smarter; read on for the best smart devices.

Then why don’t you dive in come 2024? Thank yourself in the future for being a little bit smarter with life.