Category: Technology

AET appoints Videvision Smart Tech as national distributor

Mumbai: AET has appointed Videvision Smart Tech as its national distributor for LED display sales in India, impacting sectors such as broadcast, corporate, transportation, and advertising. This partnership aims to enhance AET’s distribution network and improve access to its LED display solutions nationwide.

The collaboration will utilise Videvision Smart Tech’s distribution and supply chain expertise alongside AET’s LED display technology to provide effective solutions for businesses and consumers. This move is a key part of AET’s strategy to expand its market presence and drive innovation in the LED display industry.

By leveraging Videvision’s distribution network, AET plans to increase visibility and product penetration in tier I and tier II cities, aiming to capture 25 per cent of the LED display market in these areas. AET also intends to extend its product reach to over 100 cities across India by the end of the fiscal year.

Speaking on the strategic partnership, AET India CEO Su Piow Ko said, “We are thrilled to partner with Videvision Smart Tech as our National distributor for India. This collaboration not only enhances our ability to serve the growing demand for LED display solutions but also reinforces our commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to customers across the country. Together, we are confident that we will unlock new opportunities, strengthen our market presence, and continue setting industry standards in LED innovation.’’

AET and Videvision Smart Tech will initially focus on capturing key markets in tier one and tier two cities across India, with plans to expand into neighboring countries. This partnership is projected to drive significant growth, with AET aiming to exceed ₹1,000 crores in sales by FY 2030 and targeting a 30 per cent year-on-year growth in LED display sales, driven by this partnership.

Commenting on this partnership, Videvision Smart Tech vice president Senthil Kumar said, “This partnership with AET marks a new chapter for Videvision Smart Tech as we align our distribution expertise with AET’s innovative LED display technology. We are excited to contribute to AET’s vision of expanding its footprint across India, and we look forward to leveraging our strong distribution network to deliver exceptional value and service to customers in key markets. This collaboration is poised to drive significant growth and success for both organizations.”

This partnership marks a significant step in AET’s commitment to strengthening its market presence in India and meeting the growing demand for LED display technology.

October 9, 2024
Interra Systems to showcase advanced media QC, monitoring, and analysis solutions at Broadcast India 2024

Mumbai: Interra Systems, a leader in end-to-end quality assurance for the digital media industry, will showcase its advanced content-aware QC, monitoring, captioning, and analysis solutions at the Broadcast India Show 2024, taking place 17-19 October in Mumbai. Visitors to the company’s stand (stand L5) will have the opportunity to explore in detail the latest features of Interra Systems’award-winning ORION content monitoring tool – tailored for in-depth monitoring of linear/IP and live/VOD streaming content – as well as take a deep dive into the benefits of the company’s Baton file-based QC and Baton Captions solutions. Additionally, Interra Systems will demonstrate its powerful Vega media analyzer for detailed analysis and compliance of compressed video and the company’s new Relay Workflow management tool.

“We are delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Broadcast India Show. The market for video in India is evolving at pace,and quality of experience and quality of service aremoving up the agenda for many of the country’s media operators,” said Interra Systems head of sales and presales, India and Mena Bibhas Samanta. “Our updates to Baton QC, our flagship AI/ML-enabled automated, content-aware video and audio quality control platform that supports both linear and streaming workflows, will be on display. We will also show key updates made to our ORION suite of solutions that address the monitoring needs of next-gen media workflows, driven by cloud infrastructure, automated error handling, ad-insertion checks, root cause analysis, and high-quality video output.”

Samanta added: “Multilanguage support is also critical for broadcasters and service providers today. At Broadcast India we will demonstrate how our Baton Captions solution harnesses the power of machine learning, automatic speech recognition, and NLP to significantly reduce the need for human intervention while providing accurate captioning enhanced with QC checks.”

Interra Systems Solutions on Display at Broadcast India 2024:

Streamlining QC Workflows With Baton

At Broadcast India 2024, attendees will get to experience the latest version of Interra Systems’ Baton solution in action. Featuring advanced AI and machine learning capabilities, this updated version continues to lead the industry in automated QC platforms, meeting the highest standards for quality and compliance.

The solution includes several enhancements, such as the new Baton9 series, which offers significant framework updates, enhancements in performance of video quality checks for 4K files, support for RDD59 specifications, and direct analysis of image sequence formats, apart from optimized MXF file verification, advanced diagnostic tools for system health monitoring, and API improvements.

Interra Systems will also reveal new features of its Baton Captions. Leveraging cutting-edge ML and automatic speech recognitiontechnology,BATON Captions nowincludes web-based player enhancements and innovative correction options, including segmentation and shot boundary correction.

Also on display will be Baton Media Player, which simplifies how media professionals can play, inspect, and verify audio and video content.

Improving QoS and QoE With Orion content monitoring

Today, media companies handle a significant volume of complex content. Programs may undergo re-encoding, transcoding, and multiplexing, which can negatively impact content integrity and user experience. At Broadcast India 2024, Interra Systems will showcase new capabilities featured in the company’s Orion suite of solutions, which support a wide range of deployment scenarios in hybrid and cloud environments. These enhancements cater to linear broadcast, IP-based delivery, and live/VOD OTT content.

Orion-OTT — Interra Systems’ software-based OTT monitoring solution for checking content integrity and related network performance of ABR content for multiscreen service delivery —now includes localization support, certification for the most recent OS releases, and Dolby Atmos integration. Significant updates improve dynamic ad insertion, server-side ad monitoring, and low-latency stream monitoring, and they provide support for the latest DRM solutions, solidifying Orion as a comprehensive content delivery and management solution.

Future-Proofing IP Monitoring With Orion 2110 Probe

Interra Systems’ Orion 2110 Probe, which supports the SMPTE ST 2110 standard and enables broadcasters to future-proof the end-to-end monitoring of video quality in IP environments, will also be one of the key solutions on display at Broadcast India 2024.

Gaining End-to-End Video Visibility With ORION Central Manager

Interra Systems’ Orion Central Manager, which offers comprehensive, end-to-end insights into video operations and centralized management of IP and OTT probes, will be showcased at Broadcast India 2024. Recent enhancements include end-to-end ad insertion monitoring, support for audio alerts, and user group permissions for precise access control.

Elevating Media Analysis With Vega Media Analyzer (VMA)

Vega — Interra Systems’industry-leading media analysis platform for standards compliance, debugging, and interoperability of encoded streams— will be exhibited at Broadcast India 2024.It offerssupport for the highest number of industry compression standards, such as AVS, HDR, AV1, GIF, VVC, Dolby Vision, ATSC 3.0, and more.

October 8, 2024
Avid and Wolftech collaborate for digital-first newsroom empowerment

Mumbai: Avid, the global leader in software solutions for professional media production, has today entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wolftech Broadcast Solutions, the industry leader in cloud-based multi-platform planning and publishing news production solutions. This strategic move illustrates Avid’s focus on transforming news, sports, and live production workflows.

The acquisition will allow Avid to combine its digital-first, end-to-end media solution with Wolftech’s expertise in story-centric workflow management. The integration of Wolftech and Avid is intended to enable news organizations to rapidly deliver stories through multiplatform amplification, significantly increasing efficiency and improving remote collaboration.

Avid and Wolftech are committed to openness and customer choice. Wolftech already integrates with a wide range of tools, including Avid MediaCentral, and will continue to build integrations with Avid solutions and other industry-leading platforms. With this acquisition, Avid will deepen the integration between the two toolsets while continuing to partner with a wide range of media production tools and newsroom systems. Existing Wolftech customers will benefit from Avid’s global scale for customer support and professional services.

The planned acquisition of Wolftech positions Avid to deliver a unified suite of integrated tools with unique AI-powered features that will enable news production organizations to:

. Break Down Silos: Unlock creativity and operational clarity by breaking down silos between digital, broadcast and long-form teams.

. Increase Efficiency: Get the most out of resources with sophisticated planning and analytics tools.

. Focus on the Story: Capture audiences and amplify stories faster across any distribution platform.

. Get Teams Interacting: Centralize communication and optimize team collaboration, from newsroom to remote and field, with web and mobile tools.

. Move as Technology Moves: Leverage an integration engine, open API and AI framework to easily build and evolve innovative and modular workflows, from lens to edit and beyond, for the ultimate connected newsroom.

Avid Technology CEO Wellford Dillard commented on the acquisition, stating: “We are thrilled to welcome Wolftech to the Avid family. This acquisition strengthens Avid’s position in the news market and underscores our commitment to deliver best-in-class solutions that empower news organizations to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. Together, Avid and Wolftech will change the game for news production teams, delivering innovative tools and workflows that enable compelling, yet efficient, storytelling.”

Wolftech, CEO Arne Berven expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition and its potential to drive innovation in news production workflows: “Joining forces with Avid represents an exciting opportunity for Wolftech to accelerate our mission of revolutionizing news production. By integrating Wolftech’s multiplatform planning, collaboration, and publishing capabilities with Avid’s industry-leading solutions, we will empower news organizations to adapt to evolving audience demands and deliver high-quality content across digital platforms more efficiently than ever before.”

October 7, 2024
Miraj Cinemas chooses Barco as preferred projection partner in India

Mumbai: Barco, the leader in laser-powered cinema solutions, and Miraj Cinemas, a movie theatre circuit, announced recently a new partnership that will bring Barco’s laser technology to the chain’s theatres across India. The three-year deal makes Barco the preferred provider of visualization solutions for Miraj, covering new sites and theatre upgrades. As part of the agreement, Barco’s award-winning laser projectors will be supplemented by the integration of Barco Alchemy ICMP media servers and an enhanced service agreement. Cinema integration partner Qube Cinema will handle local service and installation.

Miraj is growing cinema circuits in India, with 223 screens across 68 properties in 50 cities and 16 states. The brand’s focus on luxury and comfort pairs perfectly with the elevated viewing experience delivered by Laser by Barco. Now, Miraj patrons will enjoy bright, high-quality movie presentations onscreen, while relaxing in plush seating and indulging in fresh, made-to-order cuisine. The new deal with Barco will see laser projection installed in both standard and PLF auditoriums at the circuit.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Barco, to elevate our theatres with their state-of-the-art laser projectors. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in our relentless pursuit of delivering the ultimate cinematic experience to our patrons. By integrating Barco’s advanced laser technology and Alchemy ICMP media servers, we are poised to redefine visual excellence across our locations. Our audience can look forward to an immersive, high-quality movie experience that perfectly complements the luxurious comfort for which Miraj Cinemas is known,” said Miraj Entertainment MD Amit Sharma. “Furthermore, at CinemaCon 2024 earlier this year, we have reinforced our commitment to elevate our visual presentation and grow our branded premium format footprint. These collaborations, alongside our work with Barco, underscore our dedication to setting new industry benchmarks and ensuring that our patrons enjoy unparalleled movie viewing.”

Qube CEO Harsh Rohatgi added, “We are excited to play a role in this partnership between Miraj and Barco. As an organization that is passionate about cinema, we believe in providing the best solutions that help our theatre clients deliver unparalleled visual and auditory experiences. As Barco’s only authorized integrator in India, we advise many of our cinema clients to choose their laser projectors for unmatched projection quality. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Barco and supporting Miraj in delivering excellent cinematic experiences to audiences.”

Qube is a trusted cinema partner of Barco and the only authorized integrator for the company in India. The companies have worked together on installs in the region for nearly 15 years.

“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Miraj Cinemas,” said Barco EVP Cinema Gerwin Damberg “Barco is proud to have a strong presence and dedicated team in India. Together with Qube, we look forward to delivering exceptional cinema experiences for Miraj audiences across the region.”

The move to this preferred partnership agreement comes as the evolution of a long history between Barco and Miraj beginning nearly a decade ago with the installation of the first Barco laser projectors there in 2019. This deal brings the next generation of Barco laser projection to their theatres, aligning with the elevated cinema experiences Miraj audiences expect.

October 7, 2024
OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in funds to accelerate AI drive

MUMBAI: This is one fund-raise which is likely to have an impact on several aspects of our lives, and even on the media and entertainment ecosystem globally. Despite a lot of naysayers about the spread and use of artificial intelligence, OpenAI – the company behind ChatGPT – announced on 2 October that it has completed a deal to raise over $6.6 billion in new funding, giving the company a valuation of $157 billion post money raise. The money will be used to accelerate its efforts to become the premier generative AI technology.

According to reports, among the companies which have committed to pump in the funds include: Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital, which led the round, Microsoft, Nvidia, SoftBank, Khosla Ventures, Altimeter Capital, Fidelity, Tiger Global and MGX.

The latest fund raise clearly shows that the technology industry is continuing with its belief in artificial intelligence, despite the fact that its research and development is burning billions of dollars and concerns have been raised about its safety and its effectiveness. In fact, investments in artificial intelligence in AI startups had slowed down, even though tech leaders like Google, Amazon and Microsoft were going ahead unperturbed.

Reports have stated that the Sam Altman led OpenAI is on course to generate $3.6 billion this year, though its losses might end up at a massive $5 billion. Revenues are expected to treble by end next year. It has about 1,700 employees, adding more than 1,000 in the past nine months. It has also gone through some turbulence on the leadership level with chief scientist & cofounder Ilya Sutskever, CTO Mira Murati, chief research officer Bob McGrew, vice-president research Barret Zoph leaving or announcing their departures.

OpenAI which began as a non-profit, but was later converted to a capped-profit company by Altman is said to be undergoing a restructure to become a for-profit company, a commitment which it has made to investors. Timelines are however not clear.

The company made a post on its website. Read on to know what it said:

We are making progress on our mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Every week, over 250 million people around the world use ChatGPT to enhance their work, creativity, and learning. Across industries, businesses are improving productivity and operations, and developers are leveraging our platform to create a new generation of applications. And we’re only getting started.

We’ve raised $6.6B in new funding at a $157B post-money valuation to accelerate progress on our mission. The new funding will allow us to double down on our leadership in frontier AI research, increase compute capacity, and continue building tools that help people solve hard problems.

We aim to make advanced intelligence a widely accessible resource. We’re grateful to our investors for their trust in us, and we look forward to working with our partners, developers, and the broader community to shape an AI-powered ecosystem and future that benefits everyone. By collaborating with key partners, including the US and allied governments, we can unlock this technology’s full potential.

(Pix: courtesy open AI)

October 2, 2024
Alphadroid to dazzle at UP International Trade Show edition two

Mumbai: Alphadroid, a pioneering delivery robotics company, has announced its selection by the government of Uttar Pradesh to showcase its groundbreaking robots at the second edition of the UP International Trade Show. The event is scheduled from 25 to 29 September 2024, at the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida.

“We are thrilled to participate in the second edition of the UP International Trade Show and are thankful to the Government of Uttar Pradesh for the opportunity to present our innovative robots,” said Alphadroid founder Sanjeev Kumar. “Our exhibit at the India Expo Centre will provide a unique chance for visitors to witness cutting-edge robotics technology up close.”

Alphadroid’s expert team of engineers and visionary creators has devoted extensive time and effort to developing robots that are not only functionally advanced but also visually inspiring. Visitors to the trade show will have the opportunity to explore how Alphadroid’s technology is poised to transform key industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, and more.

“We are excited to showcase our latest range of automation and robotics products,” Kumar added. “We look forward to demonstrating how Alphadroid’s innovative solutions can contribute to the future of robotics at this prestigious event.”

Alphadroid’s booth will be at hall number 05, stall number – 09/05.

September 25, 2024
Jio Platforms hires tech veteran Dr Sayed Peerzade

MUMBAI: Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL) is making moves to shore up its AI and cloud ambitions. The company has hired tech veteran Dr Sayed Peerzade as executive vice-president – cloud. Peerzade, until recently, was with the Hiranandani group-promoted Yotta Data Services as chief cloud officer, head of special initiative, cloud, AI & M&E practice. He announced his joining JPL on linkedin.

In his new role as part of the AI ops team, Peerzade said “he will focus on driving technological innovations in cloud and AI domains, enhancing and creating products for the group, shaping go-to-market strategies, leading solutions and engineering channels and optimizing presales channels to deliver transformative business outcomes.”

Peerzade, who holds a PhD in engineering with a specialisation in digital transformation from Dr Abdul Kalam Research Centre, has worked with various organisations right from Netex Solutions to Hathway Cable, UTV, ICICI Bank, Zapak Digital, and Reliance Entertainment. He is a recipient of many an Indian and global honour and award for his work in technology.

September 24, 2024
Cobalt Digital’s new IP focused products awarded at IBC2024

AMSTERDAM: Cobalt Digital, the designer and manufacturer of award-winning edge devices for live video production and master control, and a founding partner in the openGear® initiative brought innovative solutions to IBC designed to streamline a path to IP and was rewarded with two best of show awards.

The two winners were tapped as exceptional standouts in Cobalt’s stand that was crowded with ground-breaking, IP focused products. The Cobalt UltraBlue IP-MV multiviewer won best of show in the TVB Europe category, and the Indigo OG-21100-Bidi4-Gateway took home the same honour in the TV Tech one.

The awards recognise the very best media and broadcast technology products and solutions on display at IBC2024, with hundreds of products and solutions considered. All entries were reviewed by a panel of industry experts and editors at the Rai. Factors taken into account include how diverse and comprehensive the product’s features are; how easy it is to use and how it integrates with other products; how well it solves a problem for the user; and how innovative and unique it is within the market.

The new Cobalt UltraBlue IP-MV multiviewer can be provided as a turnkey solution with four HDMI heads, or as a software package to run on customer-supplied dedicated hardware, delivering maximum flexibility. Features include support for receiving audio/video content over IP across a variety of protocols and formats with very flexible audio routing, bringing a multitude of options to suit every application.

Winner in the TV Tech category and a member of the company’s Indigo platform, the Cobalt ® Indigo OG-2110-Bidi4-Gateway has native SMPTE ST 2110 support in an openGear® format card with dual 25G ethernet interfaces for ST 2022-7 support. The card is a bidirectional quad channel native ST 2110 interface to SDI I/O, and the transmit and receive paths of the gateway can operate simultaneously. The gateway also includes support for IS-04/IS-05 NMOS for automatic discovery and configuration.

“We are so grateful to both TVB Europe and TV Tech for these enormous honors,” said Cobalt Digital senior vice-president of worldwide sales & marketing Suzana Brady. “Our products are all developed to accommodate the requirements of our customers, and IP is a predominant factor during all our conversations, so we know we hit the mark with our lineup. But it is also reassuring to know that the journalists and judges that review and evaluate all the new technology in the industry acknowledged our products as some of the best on the entire show floor.”

The awards’ editorial team said that “IBC2024 has been busier than ever this year, with over 1,300 companies showcasing their latest innovations. Our awards followed suit with this popularity and more were entered than ever before.. judging and winner selections were extremely difficult this year, feedback from our judges confirmed that the standard across the board was incredible. To all those companies who have won, you can be truly proud of your company’s achievements in standing out amongst the crowd at IBC2024.”

September 23, 2024
Synamedia and the future art of television: Senza

AMSTERDAM: It sure amazed many a TV cynic at Rai Amsterdam’s IBC last week, at a time when many a soothsayer is foretelling the death of traditional TV. Senza from solution provider Synamedia is being described as a “new approach to TV that transforms the economics of reaching viewers.” “

The company says it drastically lowers costs and eliminates the traditional technology barriers to bring more engaging viewing experiences to TV screens in the home as well as out-of-home in bars, hotels, stadiums, and more. With this cloud-based platform, Senza’s customers across all industries can avoid ecosystem taxes as well as achieve a reduction of up to 90 per cent in onboarding costs.

According to Synamedia, broadcasters and streamers have been constrained by the cost, effort and limitations of supporting the proliferation of user devices and massive fragmentation for decades now. Instead, Senza moves the entire user experience from devices – such as connected TVs and streaming sticks – into the cloud and offers an HTML5 interface to quickly launch free, low-cost or premium services. This results in a personalised, immersive user experience with advanced graphics and AI-generated synthetic video by “writing once and running everywhere,” a concept foreign to TV developers but commonplace for those developing for the internet.

With more than 25 patents filed, Senza is being talked about as a revolution that will reshape today’s TV ecosystem by tapping into the common framework of the internet, removing the need to download apps or replace outdated in-home devices and eliminating traditional cost barriers, such as ad revenue shares, to reach mass audiences. Using a cloud connector of similar size to an earbuds case, Senza turns any TV screen into a high-performance, smarter TV and unleashes unlimited creative and business opportunities across entertainment, digital signage, hospitality, IoT and retail industries.

By building the managed platform around a cloud connector that uses low-cost silicon, Synamedia has achieved a base component cost device price of around $6 that goes even lower with volume, and an ability to free license the hardware design and device software to third party OEMs in 2025.

Synamedia has also implemented Google Widevine L1 security. Working closely with Google Cloud, Senza has achieved this breakthrough by not only uncoupling the rendering of the user experience from the device and moving it to the cloud, but also eliminating the sluggish and frustrating user experiences by using low latency video protocols that are optimized for graphics applications.

Further, Senza’s AI features will enable an explosion of creativity in advertising and synthetic media, and it will empower brands to reach consumers directly with a customized experience through the cloud connector.
Senza enables broadband providers and ISPs to differentiate their consumer offerings by adding a video service with minimal up-front investment.

One of the early adopters, SuperCloud International, a pioneer in streaming and television in the US, will use Senza to deliver its consumer in-home streaming service, UMaxx.TV which offers over 350 live TV channels via a military-grade, proprietary 5G network. UMaxx opted to add Senza to its hardware offering because of its reliability and cost advantage.

Comments industry analyst Ben Keen: “For many years a debate has raged about whether the set-top box has a future. Now Synamedia has redrawn the terms of that debate by radically rethinking the role of the in-home device using a cloud-first design that promises to fundamentally change the economics of TV delivery. A strong culture of innovation has always been at the heart of Synamedia — along with its legacy predecessor entities — and it is great to see that tradition continue with the unveiling of Senza.”

Addes Synamedia CEO Paul Segre: “Senza flips the accepted economics of TV on its head with its Internet-based framework. It eliminates the need for specialist developers supporting a technologically limited and fragmented ecosystem and enables us to think of a TV screen as an Internet greenfield. As CEOs look to build new paths to revenue, this is their dream come true.”

Developer, reseller and partner programs will extend Synamedia’s reach and applications.
For Indian cable TV, satellite operators and ISPs, Senza can definitely make sense because of the low price entry point. All that is needed is many more apps and services adopt it.

September 22, 2024
The future is robotic: Transforming India’s service industry

The Indian service robot market is undergoing a thrilling change, ready to transform industries like healthcare, hospitality, agriculture, retail, and logistics. As these smart machines take on tasks in both professional and personal settings, they promise to make operations smoother and boost productivity. However, the road to widespread use in India has its bumps. Instead of seeing these challenges as obstacles, we should view them as exciting chances for innovation and growth. By tackling these issues, India can unlock the huge potential of service robotics and emerge as a global leader in this field.

Key challenges in the Indian service robot market

High initial costs

One of the biggest hurdles is the high cost of adopting service robots, especially for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Advanced technology can be pricey, making it hard for many businesses to afford. But this challenge opens the door for new ideas! Companies that create affordable solutions or offer flexible payment options can attract many businesses looking for cost-effective ways to automate. Government support, like subsidies for automation, could also help more SMEs embrace robotics without financial stress.

Technological infrastructure gaps

India is known for its tech talent, but the infrastructure needed to support service robots is unevenly spread across the country. Cities like Bangalore and Mumbai have the tech backbone, while smaller towns and rural areas often lack reliable internet and data capabilities. This gap is not just a challenge; it’s an opportunity! Public and private sectors can work together to improve infrastructure, making robotic solutions available in vital sectors like agriculture and healthcare, which are essential for India’s growth.

Regulatory and ethical concerns

The rules and regulations for service robots in India are still developing. Important questions about safety, privacy, and accountability, especially in public spaces, remain. Additionally, concerns about robots replacing human jobs are significant in a country with a large workforce.

As we navigate these challenges, it’s essential to remember: “AI is here to assist people; it’s a partnership where both AI and human beings are incomplete without each other.” By creating clear regulations, India can lead the way in safe and ethical robotics. Well-defined guidelines can build trust among businesses and the public, encouraging widespread adoption.

Public awareness and acceptance

Another major challenge is the general public’s limited knowledge of robotics. Many people are skeptical about robots taking over human jobs, especially in sectors like healthcare and hospitality, where personal interaction is vital. This challenge, however, can be turned into an opportunity! By educating the public on how robots can support rather than replace human workers, we can build trust and acceptance. Engaging campaigns and pilot programs can demonstrate the benefits of robots in improving service quality and efficiency, easing concerns, and encouraging wider use.

Emerging opportunities in the Indian service robot market:

Rising demand in healthcare and logistics

Despite the challenges, the demand for service robots is rising rapidly in key sectors. The healthcare industry is promising. With an aging population and increasing medical needs, robots can assist with patient care, routine tasks, and monitoring. In logistics and e-commerce, robots are helping streamline operations and cut costs, positioning India as a potential leader in this area. The growth of online shopping offers a significant chance for service robots to enhance delivery and supply chain management.

Government support for automation

The Indian government is taking exciting steps to promote innovation through initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’. These programs create a solid foundation for the growth of service robotics, providing incentives for businesses to invest in automation. Partnerships between the public and private sectors can lead to affordable robotic solutions tailored to the Indian market. With continued government backing, the service robot industry can thrive in an environment that encourages innovation.

Customisation for local markets

India’s diverse economy offers a unique chance for service robot manufacturers to create customised solutions. Different regions have distinct needs, especially in agriculture and hospitality. For instance, robots designed for Indian farming must consider local terrains and climate conditions. By tailoring robots to meet these specific requirements, manufacturers can serve the domestic market and even export these solutions to other emerging markets with similar challenges.

Education and skill development

India’s focus on education and skill development is perfect for fostering innovation in robotics. By integrating robotics into school curriculums and vocational training, we can develop a skilled workforce ready to operate and innovate within this sector. This initiative will not only fill the skills gap but, also position India as a hub for robotics research and development, contributing to global growth.

Conclusion

The Indian service robot market stands at a crucial point, where its challenges can lead to exciting growth opportunities. By addressing issues like high costs, infrastructure gaps, and public awareness, India can fully harness the potential of service robotics. With strong government support, increasing demand in key sectors, and a knack for innovation, India is set to become a major player in the global service robot industry. The future of robotics in India looks bright, and by overcoming these challenges, we can drive technological advancement and fuel economic growth. Let us embark on this exciting journey together!

The article has been authored by Alphadroid founder Sanjeev Kumar.

September 20, 2024