Indoor Wellness Technology Gains Ground as Urban India Reimagines Sunlight

Across global real estate and architecture markets, human-centric design is emerging as a defining theme of post-pandemic development. From biophilic architecture to circadian lighting systems, the focus has shifted from aesthetics alone to measurable improvements in well-being, productivity, and indoor environmental quality.

Industry estimates suggest the global smart lighting market could exceed $40 billion by 2030, while wellness-focused real estate is projected to cross $800 billion in value in the coming years. Investors and developers are increasingly evaluating buildings not just on cost efficiency, but on how spaces influence sleep cycles, mood, and energy levels.

Urbanization is intensifying the need for such solutions. In cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, London, and New York, residents spend nearly 85–90% of their time indoors. High-rise living, sealed office environments, basement retail formats, and deep-floor commercial layouts significantly limit exposure to natural daylight.

This shift is transforming lighting from a background utility into a health-linked infrastructure layer. Circadian rhythm alignment and daylight simulation are no longer experimental concepts; they are entering mainstream design discussions.

Within this broader movement, Bangalore-based Sunrooof is attempting to build a new design category: artificial sunlight installations that visually recreate natural daylight inside enclosed spaces.

Capital Backing and Investor Context

Unlike many hardware-led or deep-tech startups entering the built-environment space, Sunrooof has not raised institutional funding. In an exclusive conversation with Global Business Line, founder Ishat Jain confirmed that the company remains fully bootstrapped.

In a sector that often demands capital-intensive R&D and manufacturing scale, the absence of venture funding stands out. However, Sunrooof appears to be following a premium-focused strategy rather than rapid, VC-driven expansion.

The company has already executed installations in high-net-worth residences and corporate spaces. While revenue figures and valuation metrics were not disclosed, Jain indicated that early traction has come from luxury homes and large business groups seeking differentiated interior experiences.

The launch of an experiential store in Bangalore marks a strategic shift toward category awareness. Rather than scaling through distributors, the company is building demand through direct demonstration.

In a funding environment where venture capital has recently tilted toward AI infrastructure, climate tech, and enterprise software, hardware-centric wellness ventures often take longer to attract institutional backing. Sunrooof’s measured growth approach suggests a focus on controlled deployment and brand positioning before considering external capital.

Business Model Deep Dive

Sunrooof operates at the intersection of architecture, wellness, and lighting engineering. Its core product is an artificial sunlight installation designed to mimic the depth, diffusion, and tonal warmth of natural daylight.

“It’s not real sunlight. It mimics real sunlight,” Jain clarified during his conversation with Kunal Guha.

The system uses concealed LED technology engineered to replicate the visual characteristics of open-sky daylight. The light source remains invisible, creating the illusion of a skylight even in enclosed or basement spaces. Power consumption ranges between 20 and 50 watts, positioning the system as energy-efficient. Jain also confirmed compatibility with solar-powered infrastructure where available.

The company’s revenue model appears to center on:

• Direct installations for premium residential clients
• Integration in commercial real estate projects
• Partnerships with architects and interior designers
• Corporate wellness and workspace applications

Unlike mass-market lighting brands, Sunrooof’s differentiation lies in perception and experience. The product is not sold as a bulb or fixture but as an architectural intervention.

Jain’s background reflects a design-oriented lineage. His family’s 25-year legacy in the stone kitchen business, focused on hygiene and wellness-driven surfaces, influenced his approach to spatial design. Sunrooof extends that philosophy into lighting — positioning light itself as a wellness material.

The Experience Center in Bangalore

A central pillar of Sunrooof’s strategy is its newly launched experiential store in Bangalore. Rather than relying solely on technical specifications, the company is inviting architects, developers, designers, and homeowners to physically experience the simulated sunlight.

Inside the showroom, visitors can witness how the lighting transforms enclosed interiors into spaces that visually resemble open-sky environments. The installations are programmable and user-controlled, allowing individuals to adjust the lighting to mimic different times of the day — morning, afternoon, or evening.

The “morning” setting produces a softer, cooler daylight tone associated with early sunlight. The “afternoon” mode increases brightness and intensity to simulate peak daylight exposure. The “evening” setting introduces warmer hues, reflecting sunset-like ambience.

This time-of-day customization aligns with growing discussions around circadian rhythm lighting — systems designed to support natural biological cycles through light modulation.

By enabling user control rather than static lighting, Sunrooof is positioning its product as interactive infrastructure rather than decorative design. For potential clients, the experiential center serves as proof-of-concept — demonstrating how lighting alone can alter the psychological perception of space.

The showroom also functions as a sales accelerator, particularly in a category where visual realism determines purchase decisions.

Competitive Landscape

Globally, human-centric lighting has gained momentum across Europe and North America. Companies in these regions have developed daylight simulation panels and virtual skylight systems for offices, hospitals, and underground environments.

Major lighting players such as Signify and Havells India operate in advanced LED and smart lighting categories, though artificial skylight simulation remains a niche vertical.

Sunrooof’s positioning differs from large manufacturers. Rather than competing on scale or commodity lighting distribution, the company operates within a premium architectural segment.

In India, the demand driver is not lack of sunlight due to geography, but lack of exposure due to architectural design. High-rise living and sealed office layouts reduce daily natural light interaction, creating a potential opening for experiential daylight simulation systems.

If adoption scales, the category could evolve from a luxury differentiator to a standard offering in premium commercial real estate.

Strategic Implications

The rise of artificial sunlight technology reflects a broader shift in how urban consumers evaluate indoor environments. Wellness is increasingly being treated as infrastructure rather than aesthetic enhancement.

For India’s real estate sector, this could signal a move toward experience-driven differentiation. Developers may begin marketing lighting quality alongside amenities, sustainability credentials, and smart home integrations.

In corporate settings, conversations around productivity, burnout, and workplace well-being are intensifying. If simulated daylight systems demonstrate measurable improvements in mood or perceived comfort, they could find wider adoption in offices, co-working spaces, hospitality, and healthcare facilities.

From an investor perspective, hardware-led wellness technology represents a long-cycle play. Scalability will depend on manufacturing efficiency, cost optimization, and integration partnerships rather than rapid digital growth.

Sunrooof’s Bangalore debut therefore represents more than a retail opening. It signals the early formation of a potential new micro-segment within India’s lighting and interior design industry — one that reframes sunlight as a programmable, architectural feature rather than a natural given.