Indians over the last few decades have become increasingly concerned about their health and lifestyle. People are almost frenziedly worried about what they drink, eat, and how much they exercise. This ironically unhealthy obsession has led to a growth of the Indian smartwatch industry. Many big brands are betting large on the Indian consumer-base.
According to a study done by an online consumer-interaction portal, Research and Markets, the industry is expected to show 40% growth in the coming years. This rather dramatic increase is also evident in our daily lives. Literally everyone, from eighty-year-olds to eight-year-olds are wearing a smart band or a smart-watch. For the former, wearables like Apple Watch can save their lives but for the latter it is more like a fancy toy.
The study noted that with an increase in the development of electronics, material sciences smartwatches are becoming increasingly fashionable as well as comfortable. According to the “India Smart Watch Outlook 2021” the smartwatch industry is expected to bring in a revenue of Rs 600 crores globally.
Any smartwatch worth its salt measures the heartbeat and steps of its wearer. But some high-tech ones even measure brain wave activities and cardiac rhythms. Even governments are investing in high durability wearables for their soldiers. Industry stalwarts like Nike, Samsung, Sony, Apple, Jawbone, and FitBit are exploring new ways to make smartwatches cheaper and are trying to penetrate into the unapproached rural market.
The pandemic is surely going to put a dampener on these efforts but according to Garmin India’s study on its smartwatches’ data, the time spent by consumers doing indoor exercises like floor jumps has increased while outdoor activities like golf, swimming etc has decreased.
Last year the Bangalore Metro project teamed up with Titan to create a smartwatch that can open its entry bays without the need for swiping of cards. With increased concern for infection and social distancing, this project is expected to sky-rocket.
Thus the smart-watch industry is going to grow exponentially in the coming years and quite soon not owning a smartwatch is going to be a rare occurrence.
