India Accelerator Launches RUMS Vertical to Boost Robotics & Unmanned Startups

New Delhi, May 29 (KNN) India Accelerator (IA) has announced the launch of a new vertical called RUMS (Robotics, Unmanned & Space) aimed at supporting early-stage startups in the fields of unmanned aerial systems, counter-drone systems, ground robots, and space technologies.

This dedicated accelerator program is the first of its kind in India focused on the robotics and unmanned ecosystem.

Through its partner entity Finvolve, IA plans to invest between USD 8-10 million in RUMS startups.

The initiative will be spearheaded by Lt Gen Anil Chait, a former Indian Army veteran with over 40 years of experience in operations, counter-insurgency, and disaster relief efforts.

"Robotics and unmanned technologies are playing an increasingly vital role across defence, healthcare and other critical sectors," said Lt Gen Chait. "RUMS will help drive innovation and facilitate the growth of startups in these cutting-edge domains."

The applications of robotics and unmanned systems are proliferating rapidly across industries like agriculture, warehousing, logistics and more.

Arindam Mukhopadhyay, IA's Partner & Head of Corporate Innovation, noted RUMS will meet the rising demand for agile technology solutions in this space.

India aims to emerge as a global leader in defence production and drone technology by 2030.

The government's supportive policies like liberalised drone regulations are reducing startup reliance on foreign nations. RUMS will play a key role in furthering the "Make in India" vision for robotics and unmanned systems.

As part of the launch, IA has invested nearly USD 1 million through Finvolve in a Bengaluru deep-tech startup developing advanced aerial defence systems. This marks IA's commitment to building a robust ecosystem for robotics and unmanned aerial startups in India.

To date, IA has backed over 225 startups across domains, with two-thirds raising follow-on funding.

The accelerator has exited 33 per cent of its portfolio startups at 6x returns over six years.

With verticals like RUMS, Energy & Mobility and Generative AI, IA continues enabling startups with financing, market access and business sustenance support.

(KNN Bureau)