The Indian home appliance market is undergoing a massive transformation, projected to expand rapidly from $82.17 billion in 2025 to $143.04 billion by 2035. To decode this evolution, HT Tech sat down with Gulbahar Taneja, MD and CEO of Versuni India, to discuss shifting consumer habits, the rapid surge of air fryers, the integration of AI, and the impact of local manufacturing.
Air Fryers: Breaking Barriers Beyond Metros
Once considered a niche kitchen gadget, the air fryer has successfully transitioned into a mainstream appliance in India.
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Balanced Demand: Demand is evenly split, with 50% coming from metros and Tier-1 cities and another 50% originating from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
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Untapped Potential: Urban household penetration stands at just 2% to 3%, highlighting a massive growth runway ahead.
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Core Adoption Barriers:
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Taste Validation: Indian consumers prioritize taste above all; the primary hesitation is whether healthy cooking will compromise traditional flavors (“Will I be compromising on taste?”).
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Awareness & Space: Consumers need clearer visibility on product varieties, alongside spatial constraints—figuring out what existing kitchen item to discard to make room for a new machine.
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Top 4 Growth Categories in India
Beyond air fryers, Taneja highlighted four major categories driving rapid growth across Indian households:
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Air Fryers: Fueled by the push for quick, healthy, and effortless cooking.
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Air Purifiers: Driven by a heightened national awareness of environmental pollution.
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Garment Steamers: Tied closely to personal grooming and the desire to look polished.
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Coffee Machines: Propelled by a gradual rise in consumer coffee culture, knowledge, and refined taste.
The Role of AI in Future Appliances
When discussing artificial intelligence in cooking appliances, Taneja noted that Versuni is actively exploring intuitive AI capabilities. The objective is to introduce features that intelligently recommend recipes and learn individual consumer cooking habits, ultimately empowering users to do more with the same appliance.
Supply Chain, Semiconductors, and ‘Make in India’
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Semiconductor Crunch: While global chip shortages have placed upward pressure on overall production costs, Versuni’s global manufacturing footprint has helped navigate and buffer supply chain volatility.
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Local Manufacturing Advantages: Building products locally within India eliminates heavy transportation, insurance, and C&F (carrying-and-forwarding) overheads. Taneja noted that these cost benefits are directly passed on to consumers while establishing critical supply chain resilience amid current geopolitical shifts.
