Panasonic, Nasscom CoE Partner to Drive Smart Home Innovation in India

In a move to strengthen India’s smart residential living ecosystem, Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) has partnered with the MeitY Nasscom Centre of Excellence (CoE). The collaboration aims to accelerate innovation in smart home technologies by bringing together industry leaders, academic experts, and startups under one roof.

The initiative took shape through a focused industry-academia roundtable — Ignition Bridge Innovation — held at Nasscom’s CoE facility in Bengaluru. The platform served as a collaborative space for discussions on co-developing smart living solutions tailored for the Indian market, with a clear focus on energy efficiency, automation, health, wellness, and safety.

Speaking at the event, Manish Misra, Chief Innovation Officer, Panasonic Life Solutions India, said,“At Panasonic, we believe the future of smart living lies at the intersection of technology, collaboration, and purpose-driven innovation. The Ignition Bridge Roundtable is an extension of our 'Ignition Challenge' corporate accelerator program. With Nasscom CoE, we’re enabling a culture of innovation where startups, academia, and corporates come together to build solutions that are affordable, accessible, and scalable for Indian consumers.”

Focus on Key Residential Challenges

The discussions during the roundtable covered a wide range of themes relevant to modern Indian homes — from air quality monitoring and smart surveillance to AI-led automation, predictive safety systems, and sustainable energy management. The goal is to develop technologies that not only enhance comfort and security but also support India’s larger goals around sustainability and digital transformation.

Startups working in these areas showcased their innovations during the event. Companies like Bolt.Earth, Charzer, Biomoneta, The Energy Company, Devic Earth, and Inxense presented technologies ranging from AI-based home surveillance systems and air purification solutions to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and intelligent energy storage systems.

Academic-Startup-Industry Synergy

Panasonic’s collaboration with leading academic institutions — including IIT Madras, IIT Tirupati, IIT Hyderabad, IISc Bangalore, and BITS Pilani — is a crucial element of this initiative. These institutions bring cutting-edge research and technical capabilities to the table, enabling faster prototyping and deployment of next-gen home technologies.

The partnership also allows Panasonic and Nasscom CoE to design and launch pilot projects, cluster deployments, and community-based models that can be tested at scale. These collaborations will be particularly useful in understanding how smart home technologies perform in diverse Indian conditions — from urban metros to smaller towns.

Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO, Nasscom CoE, emphasised the importance of co-innovation. “At Nasscom CoE, we believe the future of smart living will be shaped by collaborative innovation that bridges industry, startups, and academia. Our partnership with Panasonic is a powerful step in this direction — combining deeptech, real-world expertise, and entrepreneurial agility to address pressing residential needs.”

Panasonic’s Smart Home Strategy in India

Panasonic has been building a strong presence in India’s innovation landscape through its India Innovation Centre (IIC). The company’s long-term strategy focuses on building a connected, sustainable home ecosystem designed specifically for Indian consumers.

Key initiatives under this strategy include:

• Miraie – Panasonic’s connected living platform that allows users to control smart appliances through a unified app interface.

• Matter-enabled air conditioner – India’s first interoperable smart AC designed for seamless integration with other connected devices.

• Ignition accelerator program – A startup-focused initiative run in collaboration with T-Hub and Beyond Next Ventures, supporting emerging companies in the smart living and energy efficiency domains.

• Nessum – A next-gen wired communication technology developed by the IIC to ensure stronger device-to-device connectivity inside homes.

These efforts reflect Panasonic’s commitment to building an innovation-first ecosystem that contributes not just to product advancement but also to the broader goals of India’s digital transformation and clean energy transition.

Towards Smarter, More Inclusive Homes

While smart home technologies are often associated with premium housing, Panasonic’s vision, supported by this collaboration, is rooted in inclusivity. The mission is to make these solutions viable for the mass market — by developing cost-effective, easily deployable, and interoperable systems.

By integrating the agility of startups, the research depth of academia, and the scale of corporate R&D, this public-private model seeks to address India’s unique challenges — whether it's poor indoor air quality, rising energy consumption, or fragmented home automation systems.

The Panasonic–Nasscom CoE partnership marks a significant step forward in shaping the future of Indian homes. Through focused collaboration, local innovation, and scalable solutions, the initiative holds the promise of delivering smarter, safer, and more sustainable living experiences to millions of households.

As India continues its journey toward becoming a digitally empowered and energy-conscious nation, partnerships like this will play a key role in translating technological potential into real-world impact — starting right at home.