These are electronically controlled and a slight push anywhere on the cabinet is enough to open and close them One-touch drawers are popular in Europe and would be launched in India next year

He c OUSEHOLD work can't get asier. Ever thought you could open and close your drawers with the touch of your little finger? "Electrification" makes it possible. No more pulling and pushing of drawers, that too without any compromise on performance.

"You can now simultaneously hold things in your hands as well as open your drawers however heavy they are," said Juergen Wolf, managing director of Hafele India, a Germany-based interior hardware solutions provider. "One-touch drawers are now becoming popular in Europe and by next year, we will introduce more products in India,"

he added.

"Intelligent drawers" are electronically controlled over their entire length and a slight push anywhere on the cabinet is enough to open and close them. The drawer slides without any noise. Hafele markets the Servo Drive drawer systems through the Austria-based furniture fittings manufacturer, Blum.

The basis for Servo Drive is an electrical drive that triggers the opening signal. This feature has been combined with the company's Blumotion technology to silently close the drawers. With Servo Drive, the drawer does not have a fixed connection to the drive unit.

This enables it to be stopped at any position during the opening and closing process. A single drive unit version is used for all cabinet widths of 275mm or higher. The system can be deactivated while cleaning. Drawers and pullout systems work even without power supply. The electrical components come with a five-year warranty when used in the combination with the Blum Tandembox (cabinet).

These systems are aesthetic, stylish, ergonomic and equally expensive. The drawer systems may cost tens of thousand rupees and upwards depending on the shape, size and the type of material used.

The fittings are made using corrosion-resistant material to match Indian requirements, Wolf said.

Apart from selling the hardware components and solutions, the company also helps in consulting and design. Hafele-trained carpenters assist a customer's labourers to install and implement the systems.

Installation assistance comes free of cost.

"Our products in India are targeted at the high-end households.

Despite a temporary slump, sales have started picking up from May.

We are also witnessing a drive from mid-end households ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 60 lakh," Wolf said. The company has set up six design studios in the country across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.