A girl swims in the SmartPools International showroom in Guwahati on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, July 27: One can now take a splash, feel the flow of a river or even unwind like in a jacuzzi at home inside a custom-made, low-cost “smart” pool.

The Malaysia-headquartered SmartPools International, a leading specialist in luxury spas, products and solutions, forayed into the Northeast with the launch of an exclusive showroom here today.

Already present in 40 countries, SmartPools started operating in India last year.

“We are currently present in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. The concept is slowly but surely catching up and we have sold 2,000 units over the past year,” Rehan Khan, director of Smartpools International Private Limited, told The Telegraph.

The company plans to set up eight more pools in the Northeast in a year’s time. “Our next stop will be Meghalaya and our channel partner for eastern India, Sanico Marketing Corporation, will open experience zones like this one here across other cities of the region,” Khan said.

Asked about the USP of a smart pool, Khan said, “As against a conventional pool which requires 2,00,000 litres of water and as many kilograms of concrete, a 15x9 feet smart pool requires only 9,000 litres of water and minimum amount of concrete. So you save on concrete and there is hardly any reinforcement cost.”

A smart pool, he added, lasts a lifetime as the structure is made of composite material and requires low maintenance with an auto-filtration system to drain out unwanted particles.

“Equipped with a patented technology, laminar aqua propulsion system (LAPS), a smart pool replicates the flow of a river. So you can swim against the flow of a river and the technology is meant to keep you healthy,” Khan said.

A smart pool is available in various shapes and sizes. “We have a standard size of 15ft by 8ft with a depth of 3.5ft. We also have bigger ones measuring 21x9ft, 30x2ft and with a depth of four feet. There is an 8x8ft spa as well. In the coming months, the experience zone here will also have a children’s pool measuring 8x4ft,” he said.

The company has two factories in India. “We have one each in Bangalore and Goa,” Khan said.

A 15x9 pool would cost about Rs17 lakh, while an 8x8 spa costs about Rs 8 lakh.

Speaking on the affordability of such high-end products, Khan said, “It should be affordable for those who need the product. People here are health-conscious too.”

On its Northeast foray, the director said, “We have done our research here and the region has the lowest pool-population ratio. People love to swim and stay fit but not all have easy access to a pool they can swim freely.”