‘Bandicoot’ fame Genrobotics expanding into defence and space tech

Keralam-based Genrobotics, best known for its ‘Bandicoot’ robotic scavenger, is expanding into defence production, aerospace and space technology.

The robotics company has opened a new production facility in Thiruvananthapuram, a statement said on Thursday. “The facility, located at KINFRA, Menamkulam, near Thumba, will focus on the development and production of robotics technologies for defence and space applications, marking the company’s expansion from its established standing in sanitation and medical robotics,” it said.

Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish inaugurated the Menamkulam unit, which is designed for research and development-led production, with a focus on robotics for defence and space applications. The company has sought to strengthen its aerospace capabilities in recent months by inducting senior hands from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) into its team, according to the statement.

Genrobotics co-founder and CEO Vimal Govind said the company’s journey had evolved significantly since its early work in sanitation robotics. “We began by going where no one else would: into the sewers. Today, we’re headed where few dare to dream: into space. From sanitation to space, that’s the journey Genrobotics has been on, and this is just the beginning,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

The new facility forms part of a larger expansion of Genrobotics’ manufacturing infrastructure in Kerala. The company’s production facility at Palakkad, its largest, is nearing completion. It will focus on sanitation and medical technologies. A new headquarters-cum-R&D facility is also being developed at Chanthavila in Thiruvananthapuram.

With the three facilities in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad, Genrobotics is seeking to position its next phase of growth around a larger manufacturing base in Kerala, the statement said.

Balagopal Chandrashekar, Chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and Santhosh Koshy Thomas, Managing Director of KINFRA, were among those present.

The ‘Bandicoot’ robot made headlines by eliminating the need for humans to physically enter manholes and sewers for cleaning.