Step Automation India Pvt Ltd.: mechanizing lives with efficacious home automation solutions

Step Automation entered in the market to provide interconnection in different home appliances and features and introduces smart solution to every need.

Home automation is part of "The Internet of Things", the way devices and appliances are connected with each other and provide a seamless control over all aspects. It controls lighting, climate, entertainment systems, and security applications systems of the home, office etc.  Home automation has been around for a long time in terms of lighting and simple appliance control. But recently, technology caught up with numerous ideas to interconnect the world, and it has progressed rapidly.

Step Automations India Pvt. Ltd. is known as an innovator of advanced home automation servicing. It holds a leading position in supplying technology and solution for Smart Home, Hotels, Hospitality and Institutions. This was initiated in 2008 in Bangalore, India. It was founded and backed by technology and management entrepreneurs based in the USA and India.

Step Automations Company has partnered with different key players of the market on the global level with its designs to bring the best of breed home and office automation solutions to the Indian market. The team utilizes the latest in Wired and Wireless technology to offer the most efficient solution for the Smart Home Automation requirements.

Till date, the company has delivered technology and solutions to over 801+ projects in luxury villas, apartments, large apartment and villa developments, hotels, pubs, restaurants, schools, colleges, and offices in many areas. Step Automations is involved as a pure engineering company into home automation rather than as a dealer of any company. Here, the main strength is people, who are the very experienced and have been working here for 8-10 years.

The company was started by a group of highly qualified and expert individuals. Presently, there are 30+ employees in marketing, engineering, and other segments. It is mainly operating in South India including Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Telangana. It is passionate about giving the people top-of-the-line products unparalleled customer-orientation, and efficiency, and SmartSquare is one of the unique solutions developed by Step Automations India Pvt. Ltd.

Pankaj Pandey is positioned as the Business Head. Pankaj brings with him a strong market knowledge & real estate background and has an experience of over 19 years. In an interview with The CEO Magazine, Pankaj talked about the company and its presence in the present market.

Here are edited excerpts.

Take us through the journey from the initial phase to a renowned brand.

The foundation stone of Step Automation was taken on May 7, 2008. Initially, our focus point was on smart home that time it was a very new concept.  And, one to three brands were there in this field. It was a challenge to educate people, make them convinced about the advantages of this technique.

In the first three years, we invested our time and money just to understand the market and people's needs. In the period of entering and exit, we were going on the path to be the best. Despite being an early startup, we were fortunate to have a team of mature people with great industry knowledge. We learned a lot of things from the mistake and always go for quality and branded with an Indian perspective.  Now, we get expertise what works for different houses, farmhouses, hotels, and other applications.

What inspired you to establish the company?

We have been working in different parts of real estate for years. But something we were missing was a smart real estate means real application of high end electronics engineering in real estate. We planned to connect electronic servicing with the real estate and make it advance. Our new innovation, Smarthouse is the best example for a technologically developed industry in terms of application of electronics engineering; here you can evolve everything as electrical getting controlled by electronics.

What were the problems that you faced in the initial phases of the company? How did you overcome them?

The biggest problem was unawareness; nobody knew this concept. First of all, people used to think that company will come and go in this field. Second, this industry and products will exit from the market in 2 years. Third, this industry will not be there at all, why we will need it. So it was a tough challenge for our perception and our emotion. We were emotionally stressed that we are doing the right thing or not.

That was also tough because of rejection and as the industry was very immature.  Even we were emotionally stable in telling our vision and perspective to people. At the starting three years, we did not work for profit but just for educating people. The feeling that one day we will win is that only points that keep us get rid of the failure.

Give us insights into the major offerings of the company.

Here is the list of major services offered by our company:

Residential

• Smart Living

• Smart Bedrooms

• Smart Bathrooms

• Smart Home Theatre

• Smart Kitchen

• Smart Outdoors

Commercial

• Offices

• Showrooms

• Schools & Colleges

Hospitality

• Hotel Room

• Spas

• Clubs

Who are your competitors?

Crestron, ABB, Philips and more

How important is your brand to your business?

It is very important; we have passed 11 years of journey in this field. In 11 years, many companies started and shut down. We are here because our passion states this brand. There is a very thin line; our energy level defines our passion that is converted into a brand.

What messages do you want your brand to convey?

Integrated home automation service with a lot of information, commitment, transparent explanation, and honesty.

What is your USP?

Our USP is not to create something that is already created in the market. For example there are many giant hardware brands in the market, what missing was the integration devices with the third party system. 

We want to create a better logic, through which we can interconnect different features with other applications using better firmware and software using the highest quality of hardware. We do not assemble or manufacture any products, but, we use innovative firmware and software to control different technology in different ways.

Who are your clients?

Our clientele comprises different sectors like High Networth individuals (HNI) Architect, hospitality, offices, hotels, builders, etc.

When people think about your company or product, what are the feelings and associations you want them to have?

We make efforts to create a perfect effect on people about requirements. We wish people think- we are very honest people, we know this subject very well; we offer everything of the highest quality, and we are very creative in developing creative features.

What are the functional benefits that you deliver to your clients/customers?

We deliver the highest quality and proven products, and we do not believe in AMC Concept

How do you advise the aspirants, who wish to start in the same domain?

This industry is not about dealing, here you need to gain experience and fulfil the exact needs of clients. Understand the problems of people and try to come up with a customized and advanced solution.

List the awards and milestones won by the company.

• Awarded under 30 Best Tech Companies in Asia by a reputed magazine

• Certified for completing the THRONE 3D Control Platform Product Marketing and Technical Training

• Got 1^st prize under the 11^th Successful Encore Single Stall Category

• Recognized among 10 Most Promising Home Automation Companies 2018 by a renowned publication

• Carried out the integration of the Yale range of Digital Door Locks with the S-Bus Automation System