Sonos sees India as growth engine in premium audio market, driven by strong sales and premium demand

Sonos is doubling down on India as a priority market, leveraging local insights to shape both its product strategy and broader global roadmap. In an exclusive interview with Business Today, Sara Lincoln, Principal Product Manager at Sonos, and Rennie Addabbo, General Manager of Sonos APAC, revealed how consumer feedback, certification hurdles and bespoke installation channels are driving the company’s India-specific approach. They also shared the key innovations behind Sonos’s latest launches, the Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4 subwoofer, and how they elevate the home-theatre experience.

Standout Innovations in the Arc Ultra

“The Arc Ultra features our all-new Sound Motion Technology, which delivers twice the bass output of the standard Arc at 50 Hz, despite its more compact form factor,” Lincoln explained. By incorporating additional transducers, Sonos has widened the ‘sweet spot’, spreading immersive sound both horizontally and vertically throughout the room. “We’ve paired mechanical enhancements, like custom waveguides and lightweight transducers, with software-driven Speech Enhancement, so dialogue cuts through clearly even at high volumes,” she added.

Sub 4: Refinement, Not Reinvention

On the lower end of the spectrum, the Sub 4 wireless subwoofer carries forward Sonos’s iconic design while delivering the deep, taut bass that underpins a cinematic setup. “We didn’t overhaul the look because our industrial-design philosophy is enduring,” Lincoln noted. “Instead, we’ve fine-tuned the internal components to meet customers’ expectations for depth and clarity of bass.” Its compact footprint makes it easier to place in modern homes without sacrificing performance.

Strong Appetite for Premium Home Theatre

“We sell two and a half times more Arc than we do Beam,” Addabbo disclosed, highlighting that Indian consumers are willing to invest in higher-end home-cinema setups. “That continues to validate that we’re bringing the right products to market and there’s a really strong fit in India.” He noted that while the Beam remains popular, the Arc series’ superior performance has found a particularly eager audience in the country’s burgeoning premium segment.

Certification: The Final Hurdle

Local regulatory approval remains the principal factor dictating launch timelines. “Our goal in India is to bring every Sonos product to market as quickly as global availability allows,” Addabbo explained. “The only thing between those global dates and us launching here is local certification — BIS regulations, paperwork.” He added that Sonos is actively engaging with authorities to shorten these delays, with an eye towards future simultaneous launches.

Integrating Indian Voices into Development

Sonos has opened its global beta-testing programme to owners in India, ensuring that regional nuances inform software updates and feature roll-outs. “There is a very short line of communication between our teams in India and our global engineers,” said Addabbo. “Insights gathered here will inform future innovations, both regionally and worldwide.” Lincoln emphasised the role of user research: “We have people who don’t know Sonos at all coming in and trying the app, and we watch them interact, gather feedback and constantly refine the experience.”

Custom Installations for High-Net-Worth Homes

Over 55% of Sonos’s Indian revenue stems from its custom-installation channel, Addabbo revealed. “Independent audio specialists build complete smart-home and entertainment solutions, often delivering 5.1 setups in every bedroom,” he said. This bespoke approach caters to affluent homeowners seeking integrated, multi-room audio, with the installation partners also providing crucial post-installation support, a service highly valued by Indian consumers.

Looking Ahead

While the possibility of India-first product launches remains aspirational, Sonos recognises the market’s growing influence. “If we can work with local authorities to accelerate certification, then I’ll be pitching for simultaneous global releases,” Addabbo remarked. With software at its core and a steady stream of India-driven feedback, Sonos is positioning itself to capitalise on the country’s surging demand for premium, artist-approved audio experiences.