Samsung Electronics Southwest Asia President and CEO JB Park has expressed strong confidence in India's market potential for 2026, citing a 'positive and bright' business outlook driven by improved consumer sentiment and economic recovery. Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026, Park highlighted the company's strategic focus on artificial intelligence integration and continued investment in the Indian market.

AI Integration Across Product Portfolio

Samsung Electronics is implementing a comprehensive AI strategy across its product range, following co-CEO T M Roh's announcement at the 'First Look' event at CES 2026 to embed artificial intelligence across every product and category. The integration will span multiple segments including washing machines, refrigerators, other home appliances, and mobile devices above certain price points.

The devices will utilize Samsung's SmartThings platform, which supports an energy-efficient engine to monitor, control, and enable two-way communication with connected appliances. Home devices will connect via smartphones or smart TVs, creating an integrated ecosystem.

Strong India Performance and Market Outlook

Samsung Electronics India has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first company to cross ₹1 lakh crore in sales within India's appliances and consumer electronics sectors. Park noted observable improvements in consumer behavior and economic conditions compared to the previous year.

"I am already seeing the consumer sentiment towards opening up their wallets. I would say the economy is going up in a much more positive way compared to last year," Park stated. He acknowledged that 2025 experienced some market challenges, but government support through GST revisions helped drive consumption and build momentum.

Substantial R&D Investment and Engineering Expansion

Samsung Electronics has made significant investments in research and development across its Indian operations, focusing on AI-centric engineering capabilities. The company operates multiple specialized R&D centers contributing to both local and global markets.

"The role of the R&D centre is to upgrade the software, architect it and develop it in a way that it is used in the Indian market or globally," Park explained. The company is actively transforming its engineering workforce to become more AI-centric, leveraging India's abundant engineering talent and educational resources.

Product Launch Strategy and Market Expansion

With CES 2026 underway, Samsung Electronics plans new flagship launches in February featuring AI-powered capabilities. Park emphasized that upcoming products will showcase "amazing features that are powered and embedded with the AI function," reinforcing the company's positive business outlook for the year.

The company's strategy reflects confidence in India's economic trajectory, supported by government initiatives including GST reforms and other macroeconomic factors that are expected to sustain growth momentum throughout 2026.

Samsung Electronics has indefinitely postponed its long-awaited Ballie home robot, marking another setback for the ambitious project that was first announced six years ago. The company now positions the device as an internal innovation platform rather than a consumer product destined for retail shelves.

Project Status and Company Statement

The rolling home companion robot was notably absent from this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the industry's premier technology trade fair. This absence is particularly significant given Samsung's previous indication that Ballie would launch sometime in 2025.

In an official statement, Samsung redefined Ballie's role within the organization:

"After multiple years of real-world testing, it continues to inform how Samsung designs spatially aware, context-driven experiences," a Samsung spokesperson explained.

Development Timeline and Capabilities

Ballie's journey has been marked by multiple appearances and disappearances since its original CES 2020 debut. The round, yellow robot, frequently compared to a Star Wars droid, was designed as a comprehensive smart home solution with several key capabilities:

• Video projection onto walls
• Home patrol and pet monitoring
• Smart device control (lights, thermostats)
• Camera-based subject detection
• Voice interaction functionality

At CES 2025, Samsung provided controlled demonstrations of these features, reinforcing expectations for a commercial launch that year.

Partnership and Missed Targets

In June of the previous year, Samsung announced a strategic partnership with Alphabet Inc.'s Google to advance Ballie's development. The collaboration integrated Google's Gemini AI platform into the robot, with Samsung initially targeting a late summer release. However, the company failed to meet this deadline.

Technology Transfer and Market Context

While Ballie remains in development limbo, Samsung has successfully applied insights from the project to other commercial products. The company has integrated learnings into its robot vacuum lineup and broader smart home device ecosystem, ensuring the research investment continues to generate value.

The postponement comes as competitors like LG Electronics showcase new robotic innovations at CES, highlighting the competitive pressure in the emerging home robotics market. Samsung's decision to shelve Ballie as a consumer product, while maintaining it as an innovation platform, suggests the company may be reassessing the commercial viability of comprehensive home robots.

Future Implications

Though Samsung has not officially canceled Ballie as a consumer offering, the current positioning indicates an indefinite delay. The company's focus on applying Ballie-derived technologies to existing product lines suggests a more pragmatic approach to monetizing the substantial research and development investment made over the past six years.