In an interview with TimesTech, Shyam Motwani, Business Head at Godrej Locking Solutions, shares insights into Godrej’s strides in blending technology, design, and sustainability to meet evolving safety needs. From advanced digital locks with biometric access and FOTA updates to stylish finishes, Godrej is redefining home security while supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative and prioritizing convenience, data security, and eco-friendly practices.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: How is Godrej Locks integrating technology and design to meet modern home safety needs?
Shyam:
- Our digital locks are equipped with advanced technology and sleek design that help enhance the safety quotient for Indian households. Godrej’s commitment to innovation means our digital locks not only meet but exceed modern safety standards, as we deliver smart and reliable solutions for modern home safety.
- Our smart locks comprise robust safety features that differentiate them from competitors in the market. We plan to further develop our data encryption technology, making external access to the system challenging if authorization is not granted.
- Our support for DESFire cards makes it incredibly difficult to replicate RFID card keys.
- We have a feature called FOTA (Firmware update over the air), which allows us to address potential vulnerabilities that may arise in the future. Both products demonstrate Godrej Locks’ commitment to adopting new technology that may reduce the possibility of attacks and assist in maintaining high levels of safety.
- All our products are designed in India to meet data security and privacy regulations.
- We strive to invest in tech-infused innovation for creating products that offer superior quality safety whilst being affordable to meet the evolving consumer demands.
- We as a brand are aligned with the ‘Make in India’ initiative that not only assists the country in achieving self-sufficiency objectives but also fosters creativity in the locks industry.
Locks by Godrej & Boyce Locks provide consumers with a variety of options to complement the entire decor in their homes. They have beautiful finishes such as rose gold, champagne gold, satin, nickel, and matte black, that adds to the luxe appeal of traditional as well as modern homes. The Satin Nickel finish provides a bit of modern appeal, whereas the Antique Brass is classic in design and accentuates the elegance of interiors. These designs are highly styled, appealing to varying tastes, providing household safety while also enhancing the overall aesthetic of a living space.
TimesTech: How is Godrej addressing the growing demand for both safety and convenience among Indian consumers?
Shyam:
- In response to this increasing need for both safety and convenience among Indian consumers, Locks by Godrej & Boyce is developing advanced products that combine heightened safety measures as well as ease of use.
- Our digital locks series, such as Advantis offers keyless entry via fingerprint recognition, a PIN code, and mobile-based entry, which translates to more ease of operation.
- They also come integrated with voice assistants, such as Alexa and Google Home, for seamless control.
- The capability to monitor in real-time, save an encrypted history of access, and build OTA updates ensures that Godrej does more than secure homes, but caters to the demands of convenience and safety by the consumer of today.
TimesTech: With a history of innovation, how does Godrej continue to lead the locks industry while maintaining its legacy?
Shyam:
- Locks by Godrej & Boyce has remained relevant and innovative for the past 127 years by adapting to the ever-evolving business landscape.
- Godrej Locks continues to redefine home safety with design-led innovation, combining cutting-edge technology and sleek aesthetics to offer solutions that are both secure and stylish.
- We began manufacturing locks in 1897 and patented the world’s first springless lock in 1907. Over the years, we have introduced a variety of safety solutions to cater to our diverse customer base, inclusive of the renowned Nav-Tal lock to the present digital and biometric locks.
- The home safety solutions from Godrej are manufactured in India that helps in faster adaptation to the changing market trends and the evolving tastes of the consumers, thus, fostering innovations.
- Also, local manufacturing helps an economy by creating jobs and reducing imports, which helps in building a stronger and more efficient supply chain.
- We are a customer-centric company who firmly believes in prioritizing quality, trust, and reliability.
- We are the industry leaders with 41 patents to our name and a global presence with 15,000 stores across 32 countries and 508 cities.
- Through our Godrej Design Lab, we collaborate with the best creative minds in the business to balance aesthetics and functionality to deliver cutting edge solutions to our customers. We have been the pioneers in home and office safety as we are always exploring new ways to meet our customer’s requirements with regards to both, style with function.
TimesTech: What role will digital locks play in the future of home security, and what advancements can we expect from Godrej?
Shyam:
- Technology has permeated every aspect of modern lifestyle providing consumers with unparalleled comfort, convenience and safety.
- Our varied innovative range of digital locks offers biometric, fingerprint recognition along with Mobile NFC access, RFID card access and PIN codes, Mobile BLE access which can be operated via a mobile application.
- We are focused on numerous future trends and technologies to obtain a competitive advantage in the industry, including a smart lock with IoT connectivity for remote access and real-time notifications for added safety and convenience.
- We’re also investing in advanced biometric security, including fingerprint and facial recognition, to provide extremely secure and accessible solutions. To align ourselves with the global movement towards eco-friendly production, we source for sustainable materials. We would in the near future invest in AI and machine learning for predictive maintenance and adaptive security, as well as the cloud for real-time data analytics and system management that would be possible from any part of the world, all of which enhance safety by preventing hacking and unauthorized access.
- As market leaders, Locks by Godrej & Boyce will continue its focus on manufacturing locks in India to foster creativity and innovation in the Indian locks market.
- We seek to curate and design new solutions for our existing consumer base through our strategic focus on local manufacturing to create new industry benchmarks.
TimesTech: How has Godrej responded to the increasing focus on home safety, and what key innovations reflect this shift?
Shyam:
- The company is exploring innovative ideas to address the increased demand for home safety solutions for residential as well as hospitality sectors.
- For residences, Godrej smart locks offer fingerprint access and can integrate with smart home systems making it simple to keep families safe.
- For the hospitality sector, Locks by Godrej & Boyce offers solutions that range from basic locks that use cards to more advanced systems that connect to the cloud. The advanced locks can be accessed using NFC technology or a smart phone.
- These solutions include lift access control, energy saving devices, fire alarm sensors and integration with hotel management systems for real time analytics. With RFID and Bluetooth enabled entry and mobile key access Godrej makes safety and guest experience come together, convenience and safety in one.
- Also, Locks by Godrej & Boyce shares a deep bond with Indian buyers because its products cater to local tastes and needs.
- By mixing traditional designs and finishes, we make sure our locks fit well with many home décor styles.
- We focus on ensuring that our products are durable and reliable capable of handling India’s different weather conditions.
- This attention to real-world needs, plus offering modern safety options at affordable prices, means high-quality products are accessible, at multiple customer touch points.
- This design thinking not only addresses customer demand, but also shows how committed Godrej is to the Indian market.
TimesTech: How is the lock industry evolving with digital transformation, and how is Godrej staying ahead of these changes?
Shyam: The locks industry in India is achieving advancement with digital transformation and moving towards a more integrated system.
- Godrej would like to address the ethics and privacy concerns while advancing bio-printing and DNA-based safety systems with industry advancements.
- Our smart locks are equipped with Over-the-Air feature which provides protection against possible threats and helping maintain user safety and trust with regards to future technologies.