Demand For AI-enabled Home & Kitchen Appliances Is Rising: Aman Deep Lohan, Amaz ...
As consumers increasingly upgrade to smarter, higher-specification products and embrace categories that were once considered niche, the demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled home and kitchen appliances is accelerating in India, according to Aman Deep Lohan, Director, Home, Kitchen and Outdoors, Amazon India.In an interview with BW Businessworld, Lohan noted that from robotic vacuum cleaners and connected water purifiers to smart security devices and air fryers, Amazon India is witnessing a structural shift in consumer buying behaviour, with several emerging categories growing 2 to 3x.
He also emphasised that the platform is seeing health and wellness emerge as one of its fastest-growing segments. Demand for treadmills is growing by around 60 per cent, while different fitness-related sporting products are growing by nearly 40 per cent, with growth increasingly coming from tier 2 and 3 cities. The company is also witnessing strong momentum in high-value categories, with two out of every three two-wheelers sold on Amazon India coming from non-metro cities.
Ahead of Prime Day 2026, live from 4 to 6 July 2026, Lohan added that the event is increasingly becoming an important occasion for brands to bring new and innovative products for customers. In addition to shopping, the company is also introducing 21 new Prime Video titles, making entertainment a key part of the celebration as well. Edited Excerpts:
The home category has moved beyond functional purchases into lifestyle, wellness and aspiration. From Amazon India's data, what has been the biggest structural change in customer behaviour over the last three years that you believe the market is still underestimating?
We are observing a few key consumer trends. The first is premiumisation. Customers are increasingly opting for better-performing products, better specifications and aspirational brands. This has been a clear trend over the last few years. The second trend is the adoption of newer categories that earlier were only niche discussions. For example, within the kitchen category, we are seeing significant growth in air fryers and induction cooktops. Within home, we are seeing strong growth in robotic vacuum cleaners.
These categories are now witnessing 2x to 3x growth. Customers are also increasingly looking for AI-enabled smart appliances in their homes. Whether it is geysers, connected water purifiers or security and surveillance cameras, we are seeing a strong trend towards smart, AI-enabled devices across home and kitchen.
Consumers today are comfortable buying Rs 20,000-50,000 kitchen appliances, premium furniture and branded mattresses online, categories that were once considered touch-and-feel purchases. What has changed in terms of consumer trust and the overall buying journey?
Historically, customers had to visit multiple stores, compare products, compare prices and go back and forth before making a purchase. Buying a high-value product was a tedious process. What we have done is simplify this journey while adding transparency and trust. Today, when customers want to buy products like mattresses or appliances such as air purifiers, they can compare products from multiple brands, compare specifications and pricing and read hundreds and thousands of genuine customer reviews.
We also have Rufus, our AI assistant, which helps customers ask questions in natural language about which product best suits their needs, compare brands, compare price points and get recommendations. Earlier, if you visited a physical store, the salesperson would naturally promote products available in that store or from a specific brand. Rufus, the AI assistant, works for the customers, guiding them to make an informed purchase and not for any brand. This creates complete transparency.
Once they complete the purchase, Amazon continues supporting them through installation where required. Around 30 to 40 per cent of products in my categories require installation. Amazon representatives visit customers' homes to install these products and ensure warranty support from the respective brands.
Prime Day is often associated with key brands and deep discounts. Internally, how do you track the success? Is it based on order volumes, premium product mix, customer acquisition, or repeat purchasing?
We are super excited about it. For us, Prime Day is a celebration with our sellers, brand partners and customers. This year, we are planning more than 500 product launches from many brand partners during Prime Day. It has become an important occasion for brands to launch new and innovative products for customers. In addition to shopping, we are also launching 21 new Prime Video titles, so entertainment is a key part of the celebration as well.
Customers will also have access to up to 80 per cent offers across thousands of products. On top of that, there are exciting offers on Prime membership itself. It is a great opportunity for customers to purchase or upgrade their Prime membership. Overall, we are excited about Prime Day, with strong launches and offers from brand partners and sellers across the ecosystem.
Fundamentally, whether it is Bengaluru or Bhopal, customer behaviour is becoming very similar. Every region is growing. What customers want in Bhopal is increasingly similar to what customers want in Bengaluru. Earlier, large metro cities were the first adopters of new technology, premium products and higher ASP categories. Today, we have significantly bridged that gap. Customers in tier 2 and 3 cities now have access to the same selection. We have also invested heavily in infrastructure and logistics to ensure faster deliveries. For example, more than 10 lakh products can now be delivered on the same day, more than 40 lakh products are eligible for next-day delivery.
Products like air fryers, fitness equipment and wellness essentials have seen demand rise over the last few years. Do you believe these are still post-pandemic categories or have they become part of India's long-term consumption basket?
One of the three major trends I mentioned is health and wellness. We believe health and wellness is one of our fastest-growing segments. Whether it is cardio equipment, treadmills, sporting goods, or smartwatches that track sleep and health, we are seeing strong growth. For example, treadmills are growing by around 60 per cent. Different fitness-related sporting products are growing by nearly 40 per cent.
Importantly, this growth is not limited to metros. It is also coming from tier 2 and 3 cities such as Bhopal and Jabalpur, where we are seeing strong demand for treadmills and other fitness products. We believe health and wellness is a long-term trend in India. Going forward, we expect more brands to introduce AI-enabled products that can track health and fitness data and provide personalised recommendations.
Amazon recently shared that its two-wheeler store recorded 2x year-on-year growth, especially with the push towards EVs. Do you believe this growth is being driven more by premium segments or by electric vehicles compared to commuter bikes?
This is actually a very interesting trend. Earlier, we could never imagine customers buying Rs 1 lakh or Rs 2 lakh two-wheelers on Amazon. Today, however, we are seeing very encouraging growth. Buying a two-wheeler has traditionally been a complex process. Customers would visit multiple dealerships, compare brands, compare prices and often could not find the exact colour or model they wanted. Many customers were also unsure whether they should buy an EV or a conventional vehicle. There are multiple brands, price points, and fuel options to evaluate.
What we have done is simplify this journey. Using Rufus and our buying guides, we help customers understand which vehicle best fits their use case. We also provide transparent comparisons across brands and price points. Instead of relying on the opinion of one friend or relative, customers can now read reviews from hundreds and thousands of actual buyers before making an informed decision.
We are seeing very encouraging demand. For example, two in three two-wheeler buyers are from outside metros. In the EV category, seven out of ten bikes are being purchased from tier 2 and 3 cities. Cities such as Bhopal and Kakinada are growing at 2x to 3x.
Indian households are increasingly replacing functional products with better ones, whether cookware, vacuum cleaners, mattresses, or kitchen appliances. Are you seeing replacement demand becoming stronger? How does it compare with first-time purchases?
We are seeing good growth in both. Existing customers are upgrading from manual products to AI-enabled smart appliances. That is one clear trend. What is particularly encouraging is the growth from first-time buyers. Many customers who had never purchased categories such as robotic vacuum cleaners, induction cooktops, air fryers, air purifiers are now adopting these products.
These were very nascent categories just a few years ago, but we are now seeing strong adoption from entirely new customers. Amazon's role is not only helping customers upgrade but also creating new categories by driving adoption among first-time buyers.
EMIs, bank offers and financing have made premium products more accessible. How much of the premium product growth is being driven by rising incomes versus improved financing?
Our role is to provide customers with the right selection while making purchases more affordable and delivering better value. To enable this, we have partnered with multiple banks across India. Through these partnerships, we offer several affordability options, including no-cost EMIs, instant bank discounts and Amazon Pay Buy Now, Pay Later.
These financing options help customers purchase higher-value products by allowing them to spread payments across six, twelve, or eighteen months. Many customers already aspire to own better-performing products and aspirational brands. Our role is to make both the selection and financing options available, making the purchase decision much simpler.
Within the home, outdoor and kitchen category, are there areas where consumers are choosing to spend more versus save? Are there any notable trends?
One trend we are particularly pleased about is that almost 25 per cent of customers purchasing appliances are exchanging their old products. This indicates that customers are receiving good value for their existing appliances, making it easier for them to upgrade. Exchange has become an important enabler within appliances. When exchange offers are combined with financing options, customers are able to move more quickly to newer technology and higher-specification products that better meet their needs.
As Director of the home, outdoor and kitchen category, which category do you see becoming the next big online retail opportunity? Where are you placing your bet?
At Amazon, we always say it is still day one. Many of these categories still have relatively low penetration, despite encouraging growth and customer adoption. We will continue to expand selection, increase the number of brands, simplify the customer journey using AI, build customer trust through price history, financing options, installation support and warranty services.
As we continue strengthening trust across these categories, we believe they will continue to grow. Some of the strongest growth drivers include smart kitchen appliances, air fryers, induction cooktops, cold juice pressers, coffee machines, air purifiers, robotic vacuum cleaners and two-wheelers. These are highly promising categories, and we expect them to continue growing in the future.
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