L&T Enters B2B Electronics Market With New Coimbatore Facility; Launches New Electronics Vertical LTEPS

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has officially entered the B2B industrial electronics segment with the launch of its new vertical, L&T Electronic Products & Systems (LTEPS), headquartered in Bengaluru and manufacturing operations based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

LTEPS will extend the capability to the development and manufacture of industrial electronic products and systems across several key domains — including power electronics, mobility, industrial robotics & automation, communication platforms and electronics systems design & manufacturing (ESDM).

Key Highlights of the Announcement

• Launch Date: 24 April 2026
• New Vertical: L&T Electronic Products & Systems (LTEPS)
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Manufacturing Hub: Coimbatore campus, Tamil Nadu
• Initial Setup: Two manufacturing lines commissioned, serving Indian and global clients
• Strategic Vision: Supports Lakshya 2031 roadmap to deepen technology leadership

Strategic Significance

• Diversification: Expands L&T’s portfolio into advanced electronics
• Domains Covered: Power electronics, mobility solutions, robotics & automation, communication platforms, ESDM
• Innovation Approach: In‑house R&D, technology partnerships, advanced testing infrastructure
• Future Expansion: Plans to scale across a 40‑acre zone in Coimbatore

Leadership Statement

The foray into industrial electronics is an important step towards our Lakshya 2031 aspiration of deepening technology leadership and enhancing India’s self‑reliance in critical manufacturing. With LTEPS, we are bolstering the nation’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem while expanding our presence across high‑growth, innovation‑driven domains.
— S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman & MD, L&T

Context & Impact

• National Policy Alignment: Supports Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives
• Global Competitiveness: Positions L&T to serve Indian and international clients
• Economic Impact: Boosts Coimbatore’s role as a hub for engineering and electronics talent.

LTEPS plans to progressively expand its footprint. Future expansions are envisioned across a 40-acre zone within the Coimbatore campus to cover the entire industrial electronics value chain — spanning R&D, in-house product development, ESDM, contract manufacturing, design and engineering support, sourcing, testing and validation services.

Ecom Express Opens Grocery Fulfilment Center in Coimbatore

Ecom Express Limited today announced the expansion of its fulfilment business network by launching a fulfilment center in Palladam near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It is the first fulfilment center in this part of the region which will cater to grocery items including temperature-controlled category and fruits & vegetables.

The new facility is designed to support one of the top e-grocery players and it is company’s first grocery fulfilment center in Tamil Nadu and 7th in the South region. The facility will cater to 50+ dark stores owned by the grocery player. The facility is located strategically with consideration of network centricity as Coimbatore offers easy access to Bengaluru, north Kerala, south Karnataka, and west and south Tamil Nadu1. This expansion will help the grocery brand to offer a wider selection and enable faster deliveries of customer orders within the region and towns in the neighbouring states.

With an average inventory of close to 2 million items and capacity to process upward of 200,000 throughput at full capacity, the facility has a value creation area that enables labelling, packaging, and dispatch services. The operations are optimised by state-of-the-art Vertical Reciprocal Conveyors (VRCs), lifts and spiral elevators to provide high mobility and speed in goods movement.

The facility is equipped with agile and well-designed racking systems for products such as household supplies, staples, tea, snacks and beverages, confectionery, personal care and more.

Dipanjan Banerjee, Chief Business Officer, Ecom Express, said, “The Indian online grocery market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.1% from 2021 to 2028 and owing to the surge in employment opportunities, business infrastructure and household income, South India is expected to lead the way for the industry growth2. In this context, Coimbatore is an important market for e-grocery as its strategic location enables better service to customers in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring State of Kerala. Not only will it expand our client’s reach, but will also help extend its business capabilities.’’

He added, ‘’Our continued investment in fulfilment business is a testimony of our commitment to the segment and driving newer models for grocery, retail and e-commerce customers. We are also committed to the potential of the state of Tamil Nadu in accelerating tremendous logistics growth and creating job opportunities for the local youth.’’

The new fulfilment center will employ more than 500 people to handle the ever-increasing influx of grocery orders. In order to create a gender-balanced workforce, the company will ensure that 30 to 40% employees in the Coimbatore facility are women.

The Company’s fulfilment network facilities are designed with efficient building systems that minimise energy usage. The new center integrates multiple dimensions of sustainability, such as rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment plant, and safety measures, including fire detection, prevention, and supressing system, with employee evacuation plans.

Ecom Express Limited is one of India’s leading end-to-end technology enabled logistics solutions providers to the Indian e-commerce industry. Headquartered in Gurugram, Ecom Express was incorporated in 2012 by T. A. Krishnan, Manju Dhawan, K. Satyanarayana and Late Sanjeev Saxena with their 100+ years of cumulative experience in the Indian logistics and distribution industry. Ecom Express has its presence in all 28 states of the country and operates across 27,000+ PIN codes in India. Through its deep reach strategy, the company has the capability to deliver to 95%+ of India’s population.
For more information, please visit: https://ecomexpress.in/


1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palladam

2 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/india-online-grocery-market

Bharathi Cement Opens First-of-its-Kind Fully-Automated Cement Terminal in Coimbatore

Launched ‘QUICKCEM’, a superior quality new generation green cement to cater Precast and Hollow Block Segment in Tamilnadu and Kerala

Bharathi Cement is the 1st company in India to transport bulk Cement in Containers from its Integrated Cement plant to Coimbatore Terminal

 

Coimbatore terminal is a fully-automated packing and distribution facility having a capacity of 0.75 MTPA and will be manned only by 16 employees.

Bharathi Cement Corporation Pvt. Ltd., a group company of VICAT France, inaugurated its 0.75 MTPA bulk cement terminal in Coimbatore on Monday i.e. 10th Oct’22 to serve the major market of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The terminal was inaugurated by Guy Sidos, VICAT Group Chairman and CEO in the presence of Anoop Kumar Saxena, CEO-VICAT INDIA, and M Ravinder Reddy, Director Marketing.

To strengthen the Southern market strategy, with the start of the new terminal, the company has also launched a new product, QUICKCEM that will cater particularly to the precast and hollow block segment in the respective states.

QUICKCEM is one of the best superior quality new generation green cement and therefore falls under the premium category. The product is manufactured using the best limestone available in South India with optimum fineness and with a low percentage of Alkalies, chlorides, and magnesia which ensures better durability of the concrete structures. Due to the development of high early compressive strength, QUICKCEM provides a lesser de-shuttering period, high early compressive strength of concrete, and results in saving cement consumption. This newly launched product will be packed in a BOPP bag to deliver dust free bags to customers.

QUICKCEM is ideal for use in the construction of concrete precast structures, residential and commercial projects, and roads, and by major RMC manufacturers, as it will help in making a highly compressive design from concrete. Anoop Kumar Saxena, CEO-VICAT INDIA, said “Bharathi cement has always been a preferred choice of customers in the region where it operates and therefore it is important for the company to proactively address the growing demand. With that objective a new terminal facility is set up and QUICKCEM is launched to maintain competitiveness by improving the service level.”

These initiatives are part of VICAT Group's low-carbon roadmap aimed at reducing its carbon footprints.

At the launch, Sidos said, “With its rapid infrastructure development and urbanization, India proves to be a key market for our business. By investing in the new terminal we align with our commitment towards India’s progress and growth. Coimbatore Terminal is the 2nd Terminal of VICAT India after Mumbai terminal which was set up in Yr 2018. The new facility coupled with our entire team at India operations, which is known for its quality consciousness, excellence in operations, and customer service, we endeavour to offer the best quality cement with an excellent service level.”

The Coimbatore terminal is a fully automated packing and distribution facility of 0.75 MTPA capacity and will be operated with only 16 employees. With dedicated own container wagons and a 24-hour loading facility, the new facility is the first ever in the Indian industry to have end-to-end logistic automation for transportation of Bulk Cement in Containers, that will directly serve customers without any warehouse. The facility is equipped with infrastructure for loading bags as well as bulk cement for serving the major markets of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This will enhance customer service level and cost competitiveness in the region.

About Bharathi Cement:

Bharathi Cement Corporation Private Limited (BCCPL) is a producer of Superior Quality Cement and has set new standards in the cement business. It is a joint venture of Vicat Group, France (pioneers in cement) in India having a 51% majority stake.

The company has two production lines of state-of-the-art technology having a total capacity of 5 MTPA and is located at Nallalingayapalli, in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The cement is marketed under “Bharathi Cement” brand since 2009.

About VICAT FRANCE:

VICAT FRANCE is a well-known group name globally in the cement industry. Mr. Joseph VICAT, son of Mr. Louis VICAT started VICAT group by establishing 1st plant in 1853 in France. Today the group operates in 12 countries namely Egypt, France, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Switzerland, Turkey, Brazil, and the United States. It has 15 integrated cement plants, 5 grinding units, 243 concrete batching plants, and 69 aggregate quarries globally. It has a turnover of more than 3000 million Euros and employee strength is approx 9500.

VICAT entered India in the year 2008 after working for 10 years in India to find a perfect partner. It had entered India in a joint venture with an Indian partner with the proposal to establish an integrated plant. In the year 2014, VICAT take a 100% stake in the joint venture and renamed it Kalburgi Cement Pvt. Ltd. Current Capacity of Kalburgi Cement is 3.6 MTPA.

In 2010, VICAT took a majority stake in an operating company Bharathi Cement having 5.0 Million Tons Per Annum (MTPA) capacity. Therefore, the total capacity of the group VICAT in India is 8.6 MTPA.

In the last 14 years, the company has expanded its markets in many new states in India and now it has operations in 8 states namely Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Tamilnadu. It has a strong network of 3500+ dealers.

Course5 Intelligence Sets Up New Facility in Coimbatore; To Hire Local Talent in Data Science, Analytics & AI

Analytics & AI solutions company, Course5 Intelligence, has set up a new facility in Coimbatore to attract local talent and augment growth plans. The company will focus on hiring data scientists, data engineers, analytics specialists and AI scientists at the new facility for large-scale business projects as well as AI-based research projects in collaboration with top Engineering colleges and Course5’s AI Labs. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company has other offices in Bengaluru and Gurugram in India, and in the UK, USA, and UAE.

Course5 is committed to attracting and nurturing high-quality talent while delivering excellence to its global clientele. The company’s management believes that Coimbatore and its surrounding regions offer a rich source of technology talent, much of it emerging from some of the finest Engineering universities located here. Expansion in this region will provide Course5 Intelligence with additional access to the talent pool available in the regions close to Coimbatore.

The Company plans to hire over 2000 Analytics & Data Science professionals in the city in a phased manner over the next few years.

On the Coimbatore facility, Ashwin Mittal, Chairman, MD and CEO of Course5 Intelligence, said, “The new facility is part of our move to build a strong Analytics & AI center of excellence. We intend to substantially scale up operations at Coimbatore in the next five years. We believe that there is tremendous talent available in this region and we will bring our proven process of Course5 University to propel that talent base to success.”

Course5 Intelligence caters to many Fortune 500 companies across the globe. The company’s clients span Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT), Pharma & Lifesciences, CPG, Retail and other sectors. Employees at the Coimbatore facility will join Course5’s global workforce in delivering cutting-edge analytics and insights solutions to this global client base.

Course5 Intelligence Limited (“Course5”) focuses on helping organizations drive digital transformation using artificial intelligence (“AI”), advanced analytics and insights. Course5’s AI-driven products and solutions and IP-led solutions are supported by industry-specific domain experience and the latest technologies and aim at enabling organizations to solve complex issues relating to their customers, markets and competition at speed and scale. Course5 combines a multi-disciplinary approach to data integration across structured and unstructured data sources to help businesses grow through informed decision-making. Course5’s clients include four of seven world’s largest companies by market capitalization as of November 30, 2021, four of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in terms of net revenue in 2020, and two of the five largest CPG companies in terms of net revenue in 2020.

CoE for Micro Motors and Robotics Launched By Pricol and PSG College of Technology

Pricol Limited (BSE: 540293; NSE: PRICOLLTD), one of India’s leading automotive technology companies, announced the inauguration of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in association with PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore.

The PSG - Pricol Centre of Excellence was inaugurated jointly by Mr. Vikram Mohan, Managing Director, Pricol Limited and L. Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee, PSG Institutions in the presence of top management personnel from Pricol and the Management, Governing Council members, faculty and students of PSG College of Technology.

Pricol has identified several new Technology products and innovative processes to meet demanding requirement of automotive OEMs in India and International Markets. The Centre of Excellence has been conceptualized to develop high efficiency micro motors and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence based processes and equipment. With Pricol’s strong foot print in product domain and customer connect and PSG Institutions’ expertise in first principle fundamentals, the Centre of Excellence will certainly benefit the community at large to come out with world class new technology products and processes.

Commenting on the CoE inauguration, Mr. Vikram Mohan, Managing Director, Pricol Limited said, “This Centre of Excellence is a small effort from our end towards bringing industry and academia together. Pricol has identified and is implementing several new technology solutions and innovative processes to meet the requirements of automotive OEMs both in India and overseas. We are delighted to be partnering with PSG College of Technology in this venture. PSG will support us in the development of high efficiency micro motors, robotics and artificial intelligence based processes and equipments. This CoE inside the PSG College of Technology campus will help students to proactively be part of real-world challenges and also add value to our product and process.”

Pricol Limited is one of India’s leading automotive technology companies headquartered in Coimbatore. Pricol commenced its operations in the year 1975 in Coimbatore, South India and today it strides as a reputable global brand in the automotive component and products business, highly recognized by top automotive OEMs across the world. The company carries out its business and operations in Driver Information Systems and Sensors, Pumps and Allied Products, Telematics and Wiping Systems catering to leading automotive OEMs in Two / Three Wheeler, Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Farm Equipment and Off-Road Vehicles across India and in International Markets (45+countries) with 2000+ product variants.

Today the company has 7 manufacturing plants across Coimbatore, NCR, Pantnagar, Pune and Sricity, 1 subsidiary manufacturing plant in Satara, 1 manufacturing unit in Indonesia; and 2 international offices in Tokyo and in Singapore. Pricol Group is powered by 5000+ strong, dedicated workforce which resolutely pursues the mission to be PASSIONATE, SUSTAINABLE, DYNAMIC and EVOLVING. The logo addresses the synergistic relationship between the four stakeholders (Customers, Employees, Shareholders and Suppliers) working in a convergent manner in order to create value for each other. As, Indian markets are on the flow to march towards Electric Vehicles manufacturing, Pricol has already switched its gear to be EV ready across its product verticals. http://pricol.com

PSG College of Technology is committed to providing world-class Engineering education by fostering Research & Development, evolving innovative applications of technology and encouraging entrepreneurship. PSG College of Technology, is a Govt. Aided, Autonomous, Affiliated to Anna University and ISO 9001:2015 certified Institution. This is one of the foremost institutions founded by the PSG & Sons' Charities Trust (1926). The College was established in the year 1951 and the Founders wisely decided to locate it in the same campus as the PSG Industrial Institute for effective industry-institute interaction.

The College today has a student strength of about 8518 with 15 engineering and technology departments besides the computer applications, management sciences, basic sciences and humanities departments. Among the various Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate programmes offered by the college, as many as 18 programmes were accredited in the year 1997 itself by the National Board of Accreditation of AICTE. More than 505 research scholars are pursuing research programmes leading to Ph D / MS / M Tech degrees and the college is a recognized QIP centre for Postgraduate and Ph D programmes.

Several advanced centres are set up with financial support from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, DST and other agencies. These include: the CAD/CAM/CIM Centre, Virtual Reality Centre, Virtual Instrumentation Centre, Educational Technology Centre, Centre for Non-Formal and Continuing Education, PROJECT IMPACT Centre (a project funded by the World Bank, Swiss Development Corporation and the Government of India), UNDP Jute Project Centre, TIFAC - CORE, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Centre, Festo-PSG Centre for Pneumatic and Control Engineering, Metals Testing and Research Centre, Industry Institute Partnership Cell and CII - TDB TNET Centre.

Coimbatore Company Launches Ozone-based Disinfectant that Makes Food 100% Safe from Coronavirus

Faraday Ozone, a leading manufacturer of ozone generators from Coimbatore, has launched Ozodip, a patented ozone-based food detoxifier. This kitchen product uses ozone, a natural disinfectant, to remove all types of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms from the surface of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and other food products like cereals. In addition, it also removes high concentrations of residual pesticides and chemicals effectively.



Ozodip is a compact electrical product that generates ozone from the oxygen available in the atmosphere and uses it to detoxify the food. It can be easily fixed in a wall, and operated by anyone. It weighs only about 800 grams and requires just about 15 minutes for detoxification. It uses anywhere from 6-8W of power. It comes in three finishes (black shiny metallic version, beige shiny metallic version, and stainless-steel version). The price range starts from Rs. 5999 and can be ordered from www.ozodip.in, and will be delivered at your doorstep within a week. It does not require any service or replacement parts.

Commenting about this innovative product, Mr. K Vivekanandan, Managing Director, Faraday Ozone, says that Ozone is the cleanest, safest and the most effective sterilizing agent and its disinfection potential is 3000 times faster than chlorine. Also, the Ozone technology (used in Ozodip), approved by US FDA, makes it an ideal product for the job. He takes pride in the fact that their 2 decades of R&D in ozone technology has come in handy in creating a product that is useful for the entire community in these difficult times.

Faraday Ozone has nearly 25 years of experience in designing and manufacturing ozone generators for air purification, water and wastewater treatment systems, electrical incinerators, vending machines and their accessories. It has about 15,000 customers for various ozone-based products from over 50 countries.

For Trade Enquiries contact: 7373 987 000 / 1800 120 8600 / sales@faradayozone.com.

STPI to Open Incubation Centre in Coimbatore for IT Startups, Entrepreneurs

Chennai, Aug 20 (PTI): Aimed at benefiting then industry-academia partnership, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Tuesday said it was establishing an incubation centre that would entail investments of Rs 40 crore, a top official said.

To set up the STPI-IT (information technology) incubation centre at the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, the government has alloted 3-acres of land, STPI director-general Omkar Rai said here.

"The investments expected will be Rs 40 crore. This will cater to the needs of IT, IT-enabled services. It will also give a boost to entrepreneurship and exports from the region," he told reporters here.

For setting up the incubation centre, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of secretary to department of higher education Mangat Ram Sharam and Omkar Rai. The centre would facilitate and support the entrepreneurs of the state to explore global opportunity in the IT and IT-enabled services.

To recall, in August last year STPI had launched Incubation centre and a Fab Lab 'STPI ELITE' for electronics and IT startups in Orissa state. The centre received investment of approximate Rs. 50 Crores.

"STPI will create a state-of-the-art incubation centre for providing raw and plug-in-play incubation facility to the industry especially for start-ups and entrepreneurs," he said.

The initiative would further strengthen the industry-academia relationship and also offer a platform for 'Future-Ready Technology', especially in Coimbatore.

With the facility, the employability skills can be achieved by transforming graduates into professionals by conducting special trainings in block chain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and internet of things, he said. PTI VIJ
NVG

Indian Engineer Invented Auto Engine that Runs on Water to be Launched in Japan

Sounthirajan Kumarasamy, a Class 9th drop-out but an engineer by profession from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu has invented an automobile engine that he claims can run on distilled water, an alternative of petrol and fossil-fuel.

According to Kumarasamy, this "first of its kind" engine uses hydrogen as fuel source and releases oxygen. "It took me 10 years to develop this engine. It is the first-of-its-kind invention in the world. It uses hydrogen as the fuel source and releases oxygen," the engineer told news agency ANI.



"Utilising the thermal losses in the engine, hydrogen could be burned that helps vehicle run. I have currently designed the engine with the capacity of 100cc, which could emit oxygen while it's running. All the tests were successful," he told New Indian Express.

With his invention, one can run vehicle for 200 km with just 10 litres of distilled water. He had even tried running the engine with rainwater and bore fruit.





Kumarasamy, who did his research at the District Central Library in Coimbatore, also claims that Indian government has granted him a patent in November 2018 for his Super Sonic Hydrogen IC Engine.

Kumarasamy, who wanted to launch his invention in India but failed to receive any "positive response" from the Indian authorities and eventually, in order to search for a new market to launch is engine, he approached Japanese authorities and received positive response from Japan government and now his "Automobile Engine is scheduled to be launched in Japan soon," claims Kumarasamy, as per ANI report.

Mr Kumarasamy said the engine will be introduced in Japan in a few days. He is hopeful of introducing it in India too.

"My dream is to introduce this engine in India. I knocked on all the doors of the administrators but could not get a positive response. So, I approached the government and got the opportunity. This engine will be introduced in the coming days," he said to ANI.



Sounthirarajan also owns and runs a company called NG Automobiles, which he established in 2010, and has even opened a branch in Tokyo a few months ago. He also runs an incubator cell at the PSG-Science and Technology Entrepreneurial Park (PSG-STEP), Coimbatore.

Sources - ANI News, New Indian Express

This Coimbatore Startup Wants To Make Smart-Homes Affordable To Everyone in India

Coimbatore-based Karsan technologies has decided to make every Indian home smarter than ever with its stellar debut product, Smitch.

Imagine a home which knows you better, understands you better and helps you save your hard-earned money by managing your electricity consumptions without you having to compromise and make changes in your lifestyle. Karsan technologies' Smitch is a tiny WiFi enabled smart module which makes all this possible.

Launched with a mission of making every home in India a smart home by 2030, the extremely compact WiFi enabled smart module goes comfortably behind your switchboard and lets you control your lights, fan and electrical points right through your smartphone (mobile app) or voice (Amazon echo).

How Does It Work?

The Smitch modules has an in-built WiFi chip through which they directly connect to your existing router without requiring any external hub. This particular feature lets you control and monitor your home from anywhere in the world at anytime of the day/night. It meticulously monitors your energy consumption and then provides you with detailed analytics which can help you in cutting down your energy bills significantly.

What Makes Smitch Different From Other Home Automation Products?

Though Smitch faces tough competition in the market from products like Silvan, Oakter, Pert and Homebot etc., but the product holds on its own as unlike other home automation products, it doesn't require a hub to function. This automatically helps in reducing the cost of automation significantly. Karsan technologies claims that Smitch is 30% more affordable than its competitors. In addition to this, Smitch is extremely compact and sits comfortably behind a user's existing switchboard, which means it saves them the trouble of replacing their switchboards or rewiring their existing cables.

The Founders

Karsan technologies was started by two 19-year-old Robotics and Automation engineering students, Sanath Kumar and Pragadheesh Raj in August, 2015. The duo decided to give up the prospects of having cushiony jobs for their love for building products and automation. They decided to leap whole-heartedly into entrepreneurship after the completion of their degree. The duo already have a couple of patents under their names, both combined and individually.

The young duo already owns a patent under their name: Home Automation Controlled Both Manually And Remotely (Patent issuer and number in India 5554/CHE/2015).

Sanath kumar also owns two other patents in the Home automation space viz Automatic Switch Actuation Systems & Economic Energy Management For Telecommunication Towers.

Pragadheesh published his paper 'Flexible Automation System for Industrial Transformer Testing' in the 'International Journal of Advanced Research in Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation'.

Journey So Far

The startup, which received a whopping Rs.3 crores angel funding in December 2015 within a couple of months of its launch, now has over 400 homes in Coimbatore automated by Smitch. It is currently in the midst of locking in deals with several builders and property developers in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai to be their one stop Home automation provider. With an average conversion rate of around 23 per cent, Smitch numbers have been phenomenal so far.

Plan Ahead

With Smitch already making its presence feel in metropolitan cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai, Karsan technologies plans to expand the joy of affordable home automation to several other cities across India by the end of the 2017-18 FY.

Website: http://mysmitch.com/
App: https://appsto.re/in/jZ7_fb.i

This Coimbatore Startup Wants To Make Smart-Homes Affordable To Everyone in India

Coimbatore-based Karsan technologies has decided to make every Indian home smarter than ever with its stellar debut product, Smitch.

Imagine a home which knows you better, understands you better and helps you save your hard-earned money by managing your electricity consumptions without you having to compromise and make changes in your lifestyle. Karsan technologies' Smitch is a tiny WiFi enabled smart module which makes all this possible.

Launched with a mission of making every home in India a smart home by 2030, the extremely compact WiFi enabled smart module goes comfortably behind your switchboard and lets you control your lights, fan and electrical points right through your smartphone (mobile app) or voice (Amazon echo).

How Does It Work?

The Smitch modules has an in-built WiFi chip through which they directly connect to your existing router without requiring any external hub. This particular feature lets you control and monitor your home from anywhere in the world at anytime of the day/night. It meticulously monitors your energy consumption and then provides you with detailed analytics which can help you in cutting down your energy bills significantly.

What Makes Smitch Different From Other Home Automation Products?

Though Smitch faces tough competition in the market from products like Silvan, Oakter, Pert and Homebot etc., but the product holds on its own as unlike other home automation products, it doesn't require a hub to function. This automatically helps in reducing the cost of automation significantly. Karsan technologies claims that Smitch is 30% more affordable than its competitors. In addition to this, Smitch is extremely compact and sits comfortably behind a user's existing switchboard, which means it saves them the trouble of replacing their switchboards or rewiring their existing cables.

The Founders

Karsan technologies was started by two 19-year-old Robotics and Automation engineering students, Sanath Kumar and Pragadheesh Raj in August, 2015. The duo decided to give up the prospects of having cushiony jobs for their love for building products and automation. They decided to leap whole-heartedly into entrepreneurship after the completion of their degree. The duo already have a couple of patents under their names, both combined and individually.

The young duo already owns a patent under their name: Home Automation Controlled Both Manually And Remotely (Patent issuer and number in India 5554/CHE/2015).

Sanath kumar also owns two other patents in the Home automation space viz Automatic Switch Actuation Systems & Economic Energy Management For Telecommunication Towers.

Pragadheesh published his paper 'Flexible Automation System for Industrial Transformer Testing' in the 'International Journal of Advanced Research in Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation'.

Journey So Far

The startup, which received a whopping Rs.3 crores angel funding in December 2015 within a couple of months of its launch, now has over 400 homes in Coimbatore automated by Smitch. It is currently in the midst of locking in deals with several builders and property developers in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai to be their one stop Home automation provider. With an average conversion rate of around 23 per cent, Smitch numbers have been phenomenal so far.

Plan Ahead

With Smitch already making its presence feel in metropolitan cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai, Karsan technologies plans to expand the joy of affordable home automation to several other cities across India by the end of the 2017-18 FY.

Website: http://mysmitch.com/
App: https://appsto.re/in/jZ7_fb.i

Uber starts uberAUTO service in Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore

Uber Technologies , the online transportation network giant on Friday launched UberAuto in  Bhubaneswar and Coimbatore to provide cheap transportation to riders in the city.

Company's official statement said ,UberAUTO was introduced to provide a cheaper transportation option to riders in Coimbatore, especially when they have to make short trips like going to grocery store or getting back home from bus stops .

Mahesh Muraleedharan, General Manager of Uber South Expansion said  ,"UberAUTO will work exactly like the other option, uberGO, on the app and riders can request for an autorickshaw ride by tapping the uberAUTO icon and can pay for their rides via cash, e-wallet or Debit/Credit card" .

"For a city like Coimbatore, where the landscape is not too big, it's easier to get around in autos especially for errands like going to the Bank or the grocery store," he said.

The product will also give auto drivers an opportunity to work more efficiently using technology to get more ride requests and optimize productivity.

"We're also excited to give autorickshaw drivers an opportunity to earn more, with the backing of technology to get more rides," he added.

In December 2015, Uber had stopped its auto rickshaw-hailing service in Delhi just seven months into the ride.

What's your view on Uber's this expansion to cities like  Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore ,Please let us know in comment section below.