News: Zoho invests Rs 20 cr in Genrobotics to solve sanitation workers’ issues

Funding & Investment

Zoho invests Rs 20 cr in Genrobotics to solve sanitation workers’ issues

The investment will power the AI & robot tech start-up to provide solutions to workers to support them in their hazardous working conditions.
Zoho invests Rs 20 cr in Genrobotics to solve sanitation workers’ issues

Indian tech startup Zoho Corporation has announced that it has invested Rs 20 crore in an Indian startup Genrobotics with the aim to solve the unravelling working conditions of labourers and workers in Sanitation, Oil and Gas industries. 

Sridhar Vembu, CEO and co-founder of Zoho Corp, said, "Building such technological competencies and critical know-how locally can help foster sustainable growth across key sectors, like industrial manufacturing, healthcare, and energy, in turn making the country economically stronger and self-reliant.”

Chennai-headquartered multinational startup’s investment will power Genrobotics in its quest to eradicate manual scavenging in India and provide safety and dignity to daily wagers, labourers and workers who are part of the scavenging industry.

To solve this predicament, Genrobotics offers its 'Bandicoot' robot, which is programmed to help clean confined spaces such as sewers manholes, sewer wells, storm water manholes, oily water sewers (OWS) and storm water sewers (SWS) in refineries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the robot model in 2018.

Genrobotics was founded in 2017 by Vimal Govind, Arun George, Rashid K and Nikhil NP to create robotic and A.I solutions to hazardous conditions workers face day to day. As per the company, Bandicoot robots are designed to mimic human movements with the help of AI. They use their legs, various sensors and cameras to enter manholes, move around and gain stability in different terrains.

Bandicoot’s multi-purpose robotic arm can perform actions such as shovelling, grabbing, picking and water-jet positioning necessary for various types of cleaning. It is also equipped with a sensor to detect poisonous gases and specially-designed four-IP68 night vision cameras that provide visuals of the confined space through the user interface located safely above the manhole, enabling sanitation, Oil and Gas industry workers to do their jobs safely and efficiently.

"Bandicoot, which combines the use of human intelligence and Artificial Intelligence, is transforming the sanitation and oil and gas industries by offering a viable alternative to the dangerous practice of manual cleaning," said Vimal Govind MK, CEO and co-founder of Genrobotics.

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Topics: Funding & Investment, Technology, #EmployeeExperience

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