Kerala Startup Builds India's First Humanoid Robots

India imports nearly every robot it uses, making automation too expensive and slow for most businesses that need it. Now a startup from Kochi is changing that by building humanoid robots entirely in India.

iHUB Robotics launched in 2022 after founders Athil Krishna, Akhil K Haridasan, and Sarath S spent seven years researching humanoid technology. The three friends started their journey in 2018 while studying mechatronics in Coimbatore, pitching defense proposals to the government even when India barely had an ecosystem to support their work.

Their first commercial product, Tara Gen-1, arrived in 2024. The semi-humanoid service robot speaks more than 100 languages, recognizes faces and gestures, holds conversations, and navigates rooms independently using advanced mapping technology.

Tara comes in three versions designed for hospitality, healthcare, education, banking, and public services. About 35 units are already working across three countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The company also built Daksha, an industrial humanoid that lifts up to 25 kilograms and operates at heights of eight to 10 feet. Both robots run on what iHUB calls physical AI, connecting vision to language to movement rather than just processing text like typical AI models.

The Ripple Effect

Building everything in house at their 24,000 square foot Kochi facility allows iHUB to price entry systems around $10,000, well below imported alternatives. That affordability opens automation to Indian businesses that couldn't access it before.

The company just raised $520,000 in pre-seed funding to build what they're calling India's largest humanoid manufacturing facility. They're planning to hire more than 150 people over the next two years and open a research center in Bengaluru.

In January 2025, iHUB became the first Indian company selected for NVIDIA's Humanoid Robotics Program. They've signed partnerships with EY Global and SAP Germany, signaling international confidence in Indian-made robotics.

The founders are also launching iHub School of Learning to train the next generation of robotics engineers. Their goal isn't just building robots but creating an entire ecosystem so India can lead rather than follow in automation technology.

Seven years after three students decided to chase an unlikely dream, India is finally building the robots it needs.