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Coimbatore-based start-up Karsan Technologies, which is into creating home automation and control module ‘Smitch’, has begun negotiations for entry into the international market with focus on West Asia.
The year-old company, according to its Chief Executive Officer HR Sanathkumar, initially targeted Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to popularise the product in the domestic marketplace.
“The response has been phenomenal. Our monthly turnover since the commencement of commercial operations (four months back) has crossed the ₹1-crore mark. We hope to close the current fiscal with a network of 120 dealers and presence across six-seven states. We are planning to launch the product in the Gulf countries by December 2016,” Sanathkumar told BusinessLine.
The promoters of Karsan – Sanathkumar and S Pragadheesh Raj – were students of PSG College of Technology. They graduated in robotics engineering in May this year.
Even during their second year of engineering, the duo, according to Sanathkumar, started working on a project with focus on comfort and energy saving.
“Smitch is the outcome of this initiative, started with a seed fund of ₹3 crore. The product allows users to control and schedule home appliances like fan, air-conditioner, lights, geyser, rice cooker, grinder etc with mobile app,” he said.
“It may not always be possible for working mothers to keep the food warm, particularly if the child is expected back home, say around noon. With the help of this mobile app, the parent can turn on the cooker from her workplace, 5-10 minutes before the expected time of arrival of the child and ensure that the food is warm,” Sanathkumar said. “Or say, the family is out on vacation; but wants to turn on the lights at dusk. It is possible to turn on and off, be it every room or specific lights, immaterial of where you are. The module runs on IoT (Internet of Things).”
He added that the module could be placed behind any existing switchboard without rewiring or changing the existing wiring, is affordable, reliable and helps save energy.
The company has covered 750 homes in the last four months.
Sanathkumar and Pragadheesh Raj were recipients of Danfoss Innovator Award.
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