Amazon India has released the third set of findings from its inaugural Best in Tech Survey, revealing how Indian consumers choose Smart TVs and home appliances. Picture quality emerged as the leading feature preference for Smart TV buyers, while energy star rating ranked highest for air conditioner and refrigerator buyers. Flexible financing also plays a decisive role, with nearly half of large appliance buyers citing No-Cost EMI as the most important pricing lever.
The survey, drawn from more than 40,000 responses across major consumer electronics categories, is part of an ongoing Amazon India initiative to understand what shapes tech purchase decisions on its platform. This latest release covers Smart TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines, and its findings will help shape both product selection on Amazon.in and the upcoming second edition of the Best in Tech Awards, scheduled for September 18, 2026.
Zeba Khan, Director of Consumer Electronics at Amazon India, said the findings reinforce a pattern seen in the survey’s earlier rounds on personal devices, now extending into home appliances as well: brand trust remains foundational, but customers are researching extensively and expecting a consistently high standard across the entire buying journey, from product page to installation. She noted that AI has moved well beyond smartphones and laptops and is now becoming a meaningful part of how people think about home appliances too.
Washing machine buyers ranked inverter motors as their top feature, cited by 40% of respondents for their combination of quiet operation, energy savings, and durability. AI-powered wash programs that automatically detect fabric type and load size are emerging as a fast-rising second choice at 18%, suggesting smart laundry features are shifting from a premium extra to a mainstream expectation. Nearly half of buyers said delivery and installation need to happen in a single visit, with professional plumbing setup the second most commonly cited need at 20%. The first found that AI features now influence purchase decisions for 82% of smartphone buyers on Amazon.in, while the second found processor performance to be the top driver for laptop buyers at 87%, with AI enthusiasm running highest in the computing category.
Across all three rounds, a consistent theme has emerged: Indian buyers are evaluating tech and appliance purchases on detailed specifications, prioritizing efficiency and long-term value, and expecting the post-purchase experience — delivery, installation, and setup — to match the quality of the product itself. Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.
This installment builds on two earlier rounds of the Best in Tech Survey.
Picture quality emerged as the single most important purchase factor for Smart TV buyers, cited by 66% of respondents. At higher price points above ₹60,000, buyers are gravitating toward OLED and Mini LED/Neo QLED panels, with Mini LED emerging as a strong contender at the premium end. Preference for premium display technology has also become remarkably consistent nationwide, with roughly 8 in 10 buyers favoring QLED, OLED, or Mini LED/Neo QLED panels across metros as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, leaving basic LED TVs a small minority almost everywhere. Buyers spending above ₹60,000 are mainly interested in AI-powered picture enhancement, cited by 51% of premium buyers, while those under ₹25,000 lean toward voice assistants, cited by 39% in that segment. Movies and OTT content remain the top overall reason to buy a Smart TV, followed by family entertainment, while gaming shows particular strength in Tier 2 cities. For AC buyers, a high energy star rating is the top priority, cited by 35% of respondents, ahead of inverter technology (24%) and convertible cooling (21%) — suggesting energy efficiency itself, rather than the specific underlying technology, has become the primary filter buyers apply. On the service side, nearly half of AC buyers said free installation with no hidden charges is their top expectation, followed by trained and certified technicians (20%) and combined delivery-and-installation in a single visit (17%). Refrigerator buyers put an unusually strong emphasis on delivery quality: seven in ten said damage-free delivery with full packaging inspection is their top expectation, well ahead of old-refrigerator exchange or removal (16%) and exact placement within the kitchen (9%). On the product side, energy star rating again topped the list of desired features at 30%, followed by convertible modes (25%) and inverter compressors (22%). When it comes to what would justify spending beyond a planned budget, 28% pointed to a significantly higher energy rating with provable long-term savings, another 28% cited genuinely useful convertible technology, and 18% said longer warranty periods would justify paying more.
Financing also plays a major role: two-thirds of buyers said EMI or “buy now, pay later” options influence their decision, with EMI mattering to 36% of buyers under Rs 25,000, 40% in the Rs 25,000–Rs 60,000 range, and 38% above that threshold. AI-powered features are generating real excitement, with 60% of Smart TV buyers saying they’re drawn to them — though what “AI” means to buyers shifts with budget. Installation also directly shapes purchase decisions for over a third of buyers, reflecting an expectation that the experience doesn’t end at checkout.