Neha Agarwal, Secretary, KNX National Group India and Director, Techvault, shares insights on the KNX Pavilion at Smart Home Expo 2026, one of the show’s key highlights. She discusses this year’s live, interoperable smart building ecosystems, featuring seamless integration of lighting, HVAC, energy management, security, and shading on a single open protocol. She also highlights increased global brand participation and reflects on how KNX continues to shape India’s evolving smart infrastructure and design-driven adoption of intelligent building standards.
The KNX Pavilion has become an important attraction at Smart Home Expo. What unique experiences, technologies, or demonstrations did visitors see this year?
The KNX Pavilion this year was more impactful than any previous edition. Visitors saw live, working KNX ecosystems that included lighting, HVAC, energy management, security, and shading, all running seamlessly from multiple manufacturers on one single open protocol. That real-time interoperability, with no proprietary lock-in, is what made the KNX Pavilion a truly unique experience.
What was most exciting this year was the significant increase in brand participation, including several international manufacturers making their first-ever entry into the Indian market through this pavilion, a strong validation of India’s growing position in the global smart building industry.
Were there any new brands displayed at the KNX Pavilion?
Yes, and this is something we are genuinely proud of. This year, we welcomed several new International and National brands to the KNX Pavilion, GVS, AYPRO, Atios, LogicMachine, MEAN WELL, Interra Systems, Inspinia, Theben, Ilevia, Bab Technologie, Integron and some of last year’s participants like ABB, CONTROLtronic GmbH, Cue Home, Goldmedal Electricals, NETxAutomation, Schneider Electric and Weinzierl.
Several of these brands entered the Indian market for the very first time through the KNX Pavilion, which speaks volumes about the credibility this platform has built and the confidence the global KNX community now has in India.
Did you hold any training session or knowledge sharing workshop at Smart Home Expo 2026? If yes, can you please elaborate on the same?
This year, we consciously moved away from a dedicated workshop format. KNX as a protocol is now well understood, its scalability and open standard are fairly established in the industry. What professionals need now is deeper exposure to the brands, products, and innovations available within the KNX ecosystem globally.
So the focus was on maximising engagement directly on the floor. At every booth, a brand expert was present to guide visitors through products, innovations, and real-world integration possibilities, making it personalised, practical, and far more valuable than any single workshop.
With the rapid growth of smart homes and intelligent buildings in markets like India, how do you see the role of KNX evolving in the region over the next few years?
The Indian market is maturing rapidly, and KNX is perfectly positioned to lead that growth. It is the only technology that sets a unified standard across every segment, like residential, commercial, hospitality, and healthcare, scaling equally well from a single apartment to a large commercial complex.
The most encouraging shift is that architects, consultants, and developers are now specifying KNX at the design stage itself. That change, from selecting a brand to selecting a standard, is a very strong indicator of where the Indian market is confidently heading.
Having participated in multiple editions of Smart Home Expo, how has your experience been so far, and how do you think platforms like these contribute to industry awareness, education, and business opportunities?
Our experience has been extremely positive, and we are genuinely grateful to Smart Home Expo for the visibility and platform it provides. This is one of India’s largest technology events, bringing together manufacturers, integrators, architects, and global brands across smart home, audio-video, lighting, security, and building technology, all under one roof.
For KNX, this platform allows us to showcase the best innovations and brands the global KNX ecosystem has to offer. Every edition, KNX grows stronger and gains wider recognition. We thank Smart Home Expo for consistently providing us with this stage, and we look forward to making every edition more impactful than the last.
