Traditional CS topics are getting crowded → harder to publish & fund.
The shift is toward Physical AI, Robotics, Embodied Intelligence.
India’s edge: real‑world environments = untapped data (not in global datasets).
Early movers get: Original data, Unique problems, High‑impact research.
This window won’t stay open forever.
I decided to pivot my research focus toward Physical AI, Robotics, and Embodied Intelligence because funding bodies are reallocating resources to data‑rich, real‑world applications.
I also decided to leverage India's diverse factories, farms, hospitals, and traffic systems as a source of fresh physical‑AI data, giving early‑stage projects a competitive edge.
Robotics companies like Figure AI and Agility Robotics face a bottleneck: Real‑world physical data.
India’s advantage: Scale, Diversity, Cost advantage.
I view this as a generational opportunity rather than a fleeting trend; the real question is where the Physical AI ecosystem will be built in India.
On 2026-03-19 I pointed out that the Indian banking sector often presents a wall of "standard procedures" to deep‑tech founders, and I urged bankers to become strategic connectors to unlock the ₹1 Lakh Crore R&D Fund for robotics innovators.
The government has allocated ₹1 Lakh Crore to the R&D Fund for deep‑tech projects.
I am launching an initiative to shift from traditional placement preparation to a global‑scale R&D effort focused on Physical AI and robotics in India.
I decided to move from "Placement Prep" to "Global R&D".
Target metrics: ≥ 10 labs within 2 years, ≥ 500 student participants annually, ≥ 20 deep‑tech startups within 3 years, and ≥ 30 peer‑reviewed publications or patents per year.
AI + Robotics could very well be India’s next global power move 🤖
The world’s supply chain had one backbone: China. The next chapter won’t.
- India’s advantage isn’t just cost. It’s the combination of:
- Electronics manufacturing momentum
- Deep AI & software capabilities
- Massive and growing domestic demand
“Build in India. Scale for the world.” 🌍
I collected physical‑AI movement data from MSME factories visited with Adish Garg.
Physical‑AI hardware bottleneck observed on 2026‑05‑30: “We're hardware-dependent on China Every camera rig, every sensor setup, every data collection device, the supply chain runs through China.”
$19 billion flowed into robotics in February 2026 alone.
India hosts 63 million MSMEs and produces 1.5 million engineers each year.
I asked the Indian hardware community what prevents us from building egocentric hardware devices in India and what support the MeitY Startup Hub could provide to enable such development.
Sourcing head‑mounted, time‑synced, calibrated, global‑shutter stereo cameras at volume for 50+ operators in India is currently harder than collecting egocentric video data.
- Key factors stopping egocentric hardware development in India?
Open questions remain: what regulatory, supply‑chain, talent, or funding gaps are most critical, and how can MeitY’s resources—grants, mentorship, prototype labs—be best aligned?
I will revisit this thread when the community shares concrete pain points.
- Desired assistance from MeitY Startup Hub?