‘We want to be a challenger in India,’ says Dreame India’s top executive

Consumer electronics and home tech company Dreame, which entered the Indian market in 2023, is positioning itself as a significant challenger as it aims to make premium cleaning and personal grooming tools accessible to buyers with smaller budgets, according to Dreame India Managing Director, Manu Sharma.

“When I joined in July last year, our market share [in robotic vacuums] was just 5%. And we are roughly about 25% now and by Q3, around the festive season, we want to be clearly number one and drive the growth in India,” said Mr. Sharma. He highlighted that the company’s primary aim is to top India’s robot vacuum market by the end of this year.

This ambition comes as Indians are increasingly discovering the perks of high-tech vacuum cleaners, from robo-vacuums cleaning homes autonomously to wet-and-dry models that dust and mop simultaneously. While customers often associate these products with eye-watering luxury prices, Dreame, founded in China in 2017 and now operating in over 100 markets, sees an opportunity.

The Indian market for smart cleaning devices, especially robotic vacuums, is nascent.

“So last year, for example, the robotic vacs market was 150,000 units,” Mr. Sharma explained. “This year, we expect to double and we possibly would see that it will have a very high double-digit growth….currently, the penetration of these smart devices, especially robotic vacuums, would be less than 1%. So we want to take that leadership, we want to take that onus upon ourselves in terms of showcasing these products.”

Dreame faces a strong contender in India: the British-Singaporean company Dyson, known for its high-end vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and hair styling tools that command prime retail space. However, Mr. Sharma stressed that Dreame is more than just an affordable alternative, emphasising its own tech investments and originality.

“The way we look at it is, we also are technology-heavy,” he stated. “Just to give you background, almost 60% of our employees are in R&D. We spend almost 7% of our revenue on R&D, which is much more than what typically our competitors do. So, we bring our own technology and we are very focused on that.”

He added that globally, Dreame had applied for around 6,004 patents.

Simultaneously, Dreame is attuned to the Indian consumer. “We’re very sensitive about the Indian market in terms of price points, so we have a whole range of products,” Mr. Sharma said. “What I can say is we are uniquely positioned, where you get the world-class technology at much more value than you would get from other brands.”

While Dreame’s core business is robotic vacuum cleaners, Mr. Sharma sees a great opportunity in the wet-and-dry handle vacuum cleaners. The company is also working on robotic swimming pool cleaners, lawn mowers, and even robotic service caterers for eateries globally, alongside personal grooming tools.

Recognising Dyson’s strong offline footprint, Dreame, currently with a largely online presence, is planning its own expansion.

“We’re going to be expanding our foray into the offline very soon,” Mr. Sharma confirmed, adding that 2025 would be a year of launches and announcements. Offline growth, he believes, is crucial for teaching customers about AI-powered features and for building a robust servicing team. He views these as “opportunities” rather than challenges.

Mr. Sharma further noted regional buying patterns, with South India contributing to 45-50% of business.

“Now, why is it so? Because people are much more educated, there is more literacy, and people are very conscious of what they want to do. And there are a lot of skill-based jobs available, so getting help is not easy,” he observed.

Even in a country reliant on manual labour for cleaning, Mr. Sharma sees vacuum cleaners complementing existing help and offering convenience. “I clearly foresee that the folks in India are very smart, technically-savvy… I see them using these products and doing something much more skill-based. So, it’s a natural transition which happens.”

Currently, Dreame’s products are imported; a common practice for most vacuum cleaner makers in India due to low overall market penetration. However, local manufacturing is a future possibility.

“Because the market size is still small and clearly, over a period of time, if the market demand grows, we will see manufacturing happening here as well, including us,” Mr. Sharma said. He also confirmed no tariff impact on Dreame’s products from U.S. policies, as manufacturing is in Asia.

Looking ahead, Dreame plans to expand into other product categories in India. On the business environment, Mr. Sharma found the process “very seamless.”

“I don’t see any challenge whatsoever. There are clear guidelines. There are clear policies. You just follow the law of the land and you do your business. It’s very simple,” he concluded.