American technology giant Honeywell is boosting its focus on the growing smart cities segment in India.
The Times of India recently featured comments by Honeywell executives that highlighted India’s increasing role in the N.J.-based company’s future strategy.
Specifically, India is a prime target for Honeywell’s newly formed Home and Building Technologies (HBT) division.
The HBT wing manufactures connected devices for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. The devices perform an array of functions including tracking and controlling systems covering fire, air and security.
According to HBT’s CEO Terrence Hahn India is creating growth in two key related segments: digitization and smart cities. He says a key factor in the emergence of these two segments is the ongoing urbanization trend across the entire subcontinent.
“As a global company, we want to be supportive to driving growth,” said Hahn. “As the urban population continues to grow, we are excited about opportunities in India.”
Honeywell’s strategy involves boosting its existing presence in India, which generates $1 billion a year in domestic sales and exports. Honeywell’s revenues are produced by the 15,000 workers it employs in its seven manufacturing centers and five R&D labs around India.
“We are building the ability to develop solutions locally for local applications and then be able to grow,” said Hahn.
Honeywell has smart cities’ projects already
A recent showcase project for Honeywell in India was its 2016 installation of an IoT-enabled surveillance and emergency response system in Ujjain.
The crowd management and crime prevention capabilities of the local police were aided by the project’s automatic number plate readers and CCTV cameras.
Honeywell is also using its technology to address pollution issues for residential and commercial customers through an air purifier controlled by a mobile app.
Vikas Chadha, president, Honeywell India, said the air purifier system has been tweaked specifically for the Indian market, which suffers from air pollution levels much higher than the West.