Sharad Kapoor, Director & Head of Yale B2C and Smart Residential Business – SAARC, speaks on Yale’s evolution in India from trusted mechanical locks to advanced connected security solutions. In this interview, he shares insights into Yale’s expanding smart home portfolio, from digital door locks and video doorbells to highlighting how the brand is shaping safer, more intuitive living through innovation, connectivity, and user-centric design.
Yale has a long global legacy. Can you walk us through Yale’s evolution in the Indian market, particularly in the context of connected and smart security solutions?
Yale’s journey in India echoes its global evolution, transforming from traditional mechanical locks to pioneering connected smart security solutions made for everyone. With a 185-year legacy, Yale entered the Indian market with durable mechanical locks, gradually embracing digital innovations that deliver effortless unlocking through simple tap or app command. Today, Yale leads with sophisticated smart locks, digital door locks, and integrated systems tailored for Indian homes and businesses, featuring a user-friendly interface that prioritizes convenience and safety. This evolution emphasizes seamless smart home integration, remote access, and advanced biometric and RFID technologies, underscoring Yale’s commitment to innovation and trust in the connected era.
From a smart home perspective, how would you define Yale’s current portfolio in India? Specifically, could you outline your key product segments like digital door locks, smart security systems, smart safes and related accessories?
Yale’s portfolio in India caters comprehensively to smart home security needs. It includes digital door locks featuring multiple access options such as PIN codes, biometric fingerprint scanning, RFID cards, and smartphone control through the Yale app. Additionally, Yale offers smart security systems comprising intruder alarms and monitoring solutions, smart safes designed for secure asset protection, and various accessories that integrate with the broader ecosystem. This portfolio embodies ease of use, high security standards, and connectivity, positioning Yale as a leader in India’s smart home market for reliable and advanced security solutions.
Could you elaborate on the newest ranges tailored for residential, commercial, and hospitality applications, and how their feature sets differ?
Yale’s newest ranges address diverse sectors, residential, commercial, and hospitality, each offering tailored features. Residential locks prioritize biometric authentication, multiple user access modes, and remote control via smartphone. Commercial series focuses on robust, scalable systems with access logs, RFID badges for employees, and integration with building management systems. These product sets differ in user interface complexity, security layers, and connectivity options, ensuring each segment receives solutions optimized for their unique operational and security requirements.
What are Yale’s latest offerings in digital/video doorbells, and what innovations are you introducing in terms of connectivity, apps, and user experience?
Yale’s latest digital/video doorbells enhance home security with high-definition video, two-way audio, and motion detection alerts integrated into the Yale Home app. Innovations emphasize seamless connectivity via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling real-time monitoring and remote visitor interaction. The app offers user-friendly interfaces for features like cloud video storage, event notifications, and multi-user access. Connectivity improvements enable integration with other smart home devices, enhancing user experience with greater control, convenience, and peace of mind in monitoring entry points remotely.
Are there specific functions or innovations in Yale’s smart locks and security devices that have received particularly strong feedback from users or partners?
Innovations in Yale’s smart locks, such as multi-access control (PIN, fingerprint, RFID, smartphone), auto-locking features, and tamper alarm systems have been particularly well received. Users and partners praise the seamless integration with their controllers allowing remote locking/unlocking and creating scenes of lights turning on when the homeowner unlocks the door, guest access sharing, and activity monitoring. The focus on high security with strong encryption and practical installation ease adds to user confidence. Feedback often highlights the locks’ reliability, hybrid mechanical and digital backup, and the integration flexibility with broader smart home platforms as standout features.
How does Yale engage with system integrators for project design, configuration, and deployment? What value do they add to the overall integration of Yale solutions in smart homes and buildings?
Yale collaborates closely with system integrators to ensure optimal project design, configuration, and deployment. Integrators add value by tailoring Yale’s solutions to specific smart home and residential building requirements, offering expert installation, customizing system interoperability, and ensuring seamless integration with other smart devices and infrastructure. This partnership enhances deployment quality, solution scalability, and user experience, reinforcing Yale’s commitment to delivering comprehensive, reliable security ecosystems through trusted professional networks.
Could you explain how Yale’s smart home ecosystem is structured, apps, cloud platform, interoperability with third-party systems, and support for standards like Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, etc. (where applicable)?
Yale’s smart home ecosystem in India revolves around the Yale app, cloud platforms and seamless interoperability with Yale smart locks & third-party applications. Supporting protocols like Zigbee and Z-Wave, it enables effortless syncing of lights, curtains, air conditioners, called scene creation. Locking and unlocking the Yale Smart Door lock, along with cameras, alarms and safes all become controllable via mobile devices. Cloud connectivity delivers remote access, real-time alerts, scene creation and software updates, boosting home automation and convenience for Indian users.
Architects and interior designers are increasingly specifying smart hardware early in the project. In your experience, what role do architects and designers play in the selection of smart locks and security products, and how does Yale work with them on aesthetics, finishes, and door hardware compatibility?
Architects and interior designers play a crucial role in specifying smart hardware early in projects to ensure seamless design integration. Yale collaborates with them to offer a range of aesthetics, finishes, and door hardware compatibility options to match diverse architectural styles and design needs. This partnership ensures that Yale’s smart locks and security products not only provide top-tier security but also complement the visual and functional aspects of modern spaces, thereby supporting holistic project design and client satisfaction.
What are your future plans for the coming year?
The security needs of the common man revolve around protecting their home, family, and personal belongings from unauthorized access and potential threats. They seek reliable, easy-to-use solutions that provide peace of mind and allow them to go about their daily lives without constant worrying about safety. Yale’s future plans focus on achieving this by expanding our product range. We aim to become a one-stop solution for all security needs, ensuring that individuals and families can go about their daily lives with complete peace of mind. By continuously innovating and integrating advanced technologies, we strive to protect not just homes but also personal belongings, offering comprehensive solutions that are easy to use, reliable and tailored to the evolving needs of the modern Indian consumer. Our commitment is to empower people to live securely, knowing their loved ones and possessions are safeguarded by Yale’s trusted expertise and cutting-edge solutions.
