Call it a survival strategy or a way to manoeuvre the current chaotic landscape, the smart Indian kitchen is getting more attention than ever as LPG shortages take centre stage in the country. What is unfolding in the process is an opportunity to move towards cooking solutions that are smarter, technologically sound, and more self-sufficient for the future.
Bengaluru-based Beyond Appliances is among the few kitchen appliance brands driving this shift by introducing hybrid configurations that combine traditional gas cooking with electric heat technologies in a single platform.
India’s smart kitchen appliances market, valued at over $1 billion in 2022, is estimated to reach between $2.99 billion and $4.85 billion by 2030-2032, according to Grand View Research. The market intelligence firm anticipates that increasing IoT adoption, higher disposable incomes, and a growing demand for automation, among other things, will drive future growth.
Hybrid as the future
Amid the LPG shortage triggered by the West Asia conflict, hybrid cooking solutions can be a practical alternative for consumers. “Every crisis compels people to think of something innovative and solve the problem,” Rakesh Patil, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Beyond Appliances, told The Economic Times Digital at the company’s Bengaluru factory. He added that Beyond Appliances has developed a hybrid system that operates on both LPG and electricity, providing better flexibility to the consumer. “Hybrid solutions are the future,” he said.
Acknowledging uncertainty surrounding the crisis, he said that any hybrid unit can solve the purpose of the industry efficiently. “For consumers, this will change the way cooktops and hobs are perceived while creating a new category in the kitchen space,” he added.
