Mayai | Reimagining design – AI based Gas stove top customization

Background

Since 1978, Preethi has been synonymous with sturdy mixer‑grinders, commanding nearly 17 % of that category in India.
After the success of the Customise Your Zodiac mixer programme, the brand turned to another kitchen work‑horse that had seen little innovation: the gas stove.

The Spark

Consumer insight – Younger homeowners were styling everything from splashbacks to refrigerators; a plain black hob felt out‑of‑step with this décor‑first mindset.
Business need – Gas stoves under‑performed in Preethi’s line‑up, lacking a clear point of difference.
Technological shift – Generative‑AI tools were becoming mainstream, offering a route to truly one‑of‑a‑kind products without artisanal lead‑times.

During KRDS brainstorming sessions in late‑2022 the team asked a simple question:

“What if a stove‑top could be as personal as a phone case—generated in seconds, printed in hours?”

Focusing on the toughened‑glass variant (easier to print, heat‑stable) the idea crystallised: let customers design their own glass top via an AI prompt, a preset theme, or their own photograph.

From Idea to Prototype

Wireframes & user flows mapped a mobile‑first journey: Inspire → Design → Preview → Buy.
Feasibility checks with Preethi’s plant confirmed UV‑curable inks would bond to glass without compromising safety.
Audience scoping positioned the product for upper‑middle and premium segments, where personalisation carries value.
Naming the hero – the project codename Mayai (“image” in Tamil) became the AI engine’s consumer‑facing label.

Building Mayai

Component	Detail
Model	Fine‑tuned Stable‑Diffusion hosted on AWS GPU for sub‑10‑second renders.
Safety	Copyright, nudity and hate‑speech filters baked in before preview stage.
Front‑end	React + Tailwind wizard with real‑time canvas; works smoothly on 4G.
Themes library	15+ curated collections – from Kalamkari and Ikat to Zen and Abstract – for users who prefer ready‑made art.
Production link	Approved design auto‑exports as 300 DPI CMYK TIFF, queued directly to the glass‑printing line.

Launch: Preethi Mira

The finished range debuted with 2‑ and 3‑burner glass‑tops, each fully customisable through shop.preethi.in (AI prompt, theme selector, or image upload).Preethi ShopPreethi Shop

Outcome (Idea‑Led, Qualitative)

First AI‑customisable gas stove in India – giving Preethi a headline‑grabbing USP in an otherwise commoditised segment.
Design‑led brand refresh – marketing shifted from “durable hardware” to “culinary canvas”, aligning with aspirational home‑décor trends.
Seamless operations – the digital‑to‑factory pipeline added no manual artwork overhead, so personalisation scales with demand.
Platform for growth – the Mayai engine can now extend to chimneys, hobs and mixer‑jar lids, creating a roadmap of future personalised appliances.