Page 14 - Forbes - India (January 2020)

L e a d e r B o a rd

CES 2020

How Smart Is Too Smart?

The TVs roll up, the tablets fold in and robots whizz around so you don’t have to move a muscle. If you remember
your vision of 2020 as one with flying cars in it, Uber and Hyundai partnered to deliver a concept of that too (slated
to be operational in 2023). Sin City was taken over by machines this past month. Highlights from the Las Vegas event
BY PANKTI MEHTA KADAKIA
Six Indian Startups Wow Honchos

A lArge pArt of the Calamus, an e-bike that senses
Consumer Electronics Show obstructions and incoming traffic;
(CES) floor at the Las Vegas Altifarm, self-contained grow units
Sands hotel is dominated by Asian for urban farming and cannabis
countries showing off their tech growing [to be sold in the US and
innovations. This is the first year that Canada]; home appliance company
14 India has its own ‘tech park’, but it Hyper Lychee, which has developed Samsung’s HS Kim introduces Ballie
isn’t an official government initiative. a hand-held electric scrubber with
The CES is the world’s largest show multiple attachments; STEMpedia, Ballie: The
for consumer electronics. a stem education kit for children;
The India tech park—called an air-conditioned three-wheeled Rolling Robot
the Motwani Jadeja Foundation electric car called Strom; and Wagr, a
booth—has been put together by smart location and fitness tracker for move over, AlexA And siri.
the foundation. Led by Asha Jadeja pet dogs. There’s a new kind of voice
Motwani, an angel investor from Jadeja Motwani says it is assistant on its way.
Ahmedabad, the booth showcased six surprising that while the government Delivering the opening keynote at
has allocated funding to take CES, Samsung consumer electronics
startups global, it does little president and CEO HS Kim
to promote their presence introduced Ballie, a yellow tennis ball-
abroad. like personal robot that is a camera,
The startups experienced speaker, voice assistant, fitness
the benefits of being at tracker, remote control for your home
CES. “I managed to connect devices and a ‘fun companion’ for pets
with CEOs of big appliance and kids, all rolled into one.
companies in Germany to Ballie uses artificial intelligence to
heads of Amazon launchpads learn your routine and preferences,
It was the first time India had a tech park at CES in the UK and Seattle,” says and can integrate with the rest of
Hannan Hakim, co-founder your smart devices. It is meant to be
Indian startups. “I came to CES last and CEO of Hyper Lychee. Pratik ‘actively helpful’ and personalised.
year and discovered that almost every Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Strom The robot also patrols your home
major country has a pavilion here, but Motors, says: “We’ve had honchos while you’re away or at work, keeping
not India. That is unacceptable. This from companies like Toyota visit an eye on your pets, children or
year, we have cobbled together what and be wowed, and people from all elderly family members, letting you
we could with volunteers,” she says. over the world who would like to drop in with its camera to see what’s
The startups on display include implement similar tech.” going on inside.

forbes india • january 31, 2020