Introduction

Recently, at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, a well-known private university exhibited a four-legged robotic dog it labelled “Orion” as a showcase of their own innovation and engineering prowess. It was later quickly identified as the Unitree Go2 by the netizens, a commercially available Chinese-made robotic dog, not a product developed by the university and consequences ensued. The incident has been criticised as an embarrassment for Indian innovation and credibility by various internationalmedia houses and netizens alike, thereby tarnishing the image of bonafide exhibitors who had displayed their product at the said summit. It holds a mirror to the sad state of the Indian robotics ecosystem.

Beyond reputational damage, said incident underscores a deeper structural issue: the gap between ambition and indigenous capability. For India to position itself as a serious robotics hub attractive to foreign investors and research collaborators, isolated showcases cannot substitute for systemic capacity-building. As the global Robotics market is expected to reach a projected value of US$53.64 billion by the year 2026 is estimated to reach US$65.02 billion by 2030. If India seeks a meaningful stake in this high-growth robotics market, a clear, accountable and innovation-led policy framework must be adopted for the same.

Therefore, this piece intends to analyze India’s robotics surge against regulatory gaps, compare Asian governance models, examine high-risk sectors and argue for a binding legislation on robotics (“Robotics Act”).

Robotics Under Pending Regulations: A Doctrinal Assessment

Despite various challenges, India is ranked as the sixth country in robot installation growth across the world, one place up behind Germany. India saw continued growth with a record 9,100 units installed in 2024. However, currently, there are limited to no governance mechanisms that recognize artificially intelligent entities, such as AI-based robots as legal persons, creating a scope for separate legislation. Robotics is largely covered indirectly through existing laws rather than direct legislation.

The third meeting of the Technology Advisory Group (“TAG”) was recently concluded, aimed at preparing a strategic roadmap for the current robotics sector. This meeting focused on the need for a self-reliant ecosystem rooted in phased indigenisation, prioritising domestic manufacturing over import dependence, backed by robust testing and certification frameworks. They proposed a shared national data infrastructure with federated access to high-quality, task-specific datasets. Dedicated funding channels (e.g., Innovation for Defence Excellence or iDEX) and government procurement support were also recommended. Key priorities for a concerted approach for product development were haptics, user-driven KPIs and structured field validation. Initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission and India Semiconductor Mission serve as foundational pillars, complementing the three Next-Generation Technologies (“NGTs”) to enable a dedicated National Robotics Mission.

In October 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) released the draft National Strategy on Robotics (“NSR”) for stakeholder consultation. It clearly defines foundational technologies such as the Internet of Things (“IoT”), Cobots, 5G, Edge Computing and 3D Printing. It classifies robots into Industrial, Service and Medical categories, while identifying manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and national security as priority sectors. The strategy emphasises indigenous hardware ecosystems (including actuators, sensors, chipsets and precision gears) and software design, moonshot projects, regulatory sandboxes, test beds, centres of excellence and curriculum reform with 34 specialised postgraduate robotics design programmes.

A key proposal in the draft NSR is the establishment of a Robotics Innovation Unit (“RIU”) as part of the IndiaAI initiative. Envisioned as an independent body, the RIU would coordinate implementation through partner incubators and a four-pillar framework: (i)R&D; (ii) Demonstration and Testing; (iii) Commercialisation and Supply Chain Development; and (iv) Adoption and Awareness.

These policy drafts appear promising on paper, but their impact depends on effective implementation. At present, they remain largely advisory, lacking binding force and clear statutory status, which weakens enforceability and institutional accountability. Data protection concerns arising from autonomous data collection, surveillance and algorithmic decision-making are inadequately addressed within the existing framework of statutes and regulations hitherto. Moreover, India lacks dedicated domestic legislation regulating Autonomous Weapons Systems, continuing its reliance on general International Humanitarian Law principles such as distinction and proportionality, treating them as technology-neutral safeguards. The adoption of such systems in the defence forces is an ongoing reality and the regulatory framework is lagging behind, which in itself is a complete juxtaposition.

Targeted academia–industry collaborations backed by government funding have been a key policy initiative to promote robotics. e-Yantra, a robotics outreach initiative funded by the Ministry of Education and hosted at IIT Bombay, cultivates young engineering talent to build problem-solving technologies such as Medibot. In 2020, the Department of Science and Technology sanctioned Rs. 170 crores to IIT Delhi to establish the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics. Similarly, ARTPARK at IISc Bengaluru, launched with Rs. 230 crore seed funding, advances AI and robotics innovation, and has established CAMRAS to reduce robotics-related imports.

Deployment to Dominance: What India Can Learn from Asia’s Robotics Powers?

Asia remains the epicentre of the global robotics revolution, accounting for 74% of all newly deployed industrial robots. While countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and China have surged ahead in robot deployment, India’s industrial automation remains limited. China operates roughly 450 robots per 10,000 employees, whereas India just has about 7 robots per 10,000 employees. This gap arises mainly from heavy reliance on imports, high costs, absence of multidisciplinary collaboration and lack of foundational infrastructure.

China has announced plans to invest nearly 1 trillion yuan in robotics and high-tech industries, along with proposals for global AI cooperation frameworks. China has issued regional cluster action plans to build integrated robotics ecosystems in cities like Beijing, Shenzhen and Yangtze Delta. The Draft NSR also promotes cluster-based agglomeration for industry development. India should support regional corridors (like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Maharashtra) with infrastructure, incubation and incentives to attract global OEMs and startups. GIFT City also emerges as an ideal cluster location, bolstered by heavy tech investments and industry support such as the IBM-Gujarat AI hub collaboration.

Japan has also intensified its robotics strategy through multi-year funding commitments, including approximately ¥1 trillion for domestic AI foundational model R&D. Policy discussions in 2026 focus on closing the “service robot gap,” emphasising Physical AI—autonomous, AI-driven robotics with modular, software-defined architectures.

South Korea provides perhaps the most policy-driven example of robotics governance. It has designated humanoid and advanced robotics as “national strategic technologies,” unlocking prioritised funding incentives. Its 5-year “Intelligent Robot Master Plans” (currently the 4th Plan, 2024–2028) set quantified deployment targets and major investment commitments. Unlike India’s ad-hoc and fragmented initiatives, South Korea embeds robotics within a coordinated framework.

South Korea has modernised its robotics law to permit certified outdoor delivery robots under traffic rules, integrating them into public life. India should draw inspiration from a pilot project like Indore’s 14-foot “Robocop” for traffic management and enact supportive policies for safe robotic deployment in urban settings. The K-Humanoid Alliance exemplifies collaborative innovation—bringing together government, academia and industry under shared R&D goals. South Korea is also developing a National Robot Test Field in Daegu Technopolis, backed by approximately $150 million.

From Cobots to Nuclear Robotics: High-Impact Frontiers

Collaborative robots (“Cobots”) are designed to operate safely alongside humans in shared workspaces, unlike traditional industrial robots that require physical isolation. Companies such as Universal Robots have deployed Cobots at Bajaj Auto Ltd, enabling improved production flexibility and multi-model manufacturing. At Bajaj Auto’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra, nearly 120 Cobots now assist on assembly lines, enhancing precision while lowering physical strain and removing barriers for greater participation of women workers. Cobots are strengthened in the MSME sector by post-pandemic stimulus and have emerged as a bridge technology, enabling gradual automation rather than abrupt workforce displacement. They address labour shortages, enhance shop-floor safety and perform repetitive tasks with high accuracy and endurance, freeing employees to undertake higher-value functions.

Robotics-as-a-Service (“RaaS”) is transforming access to automation through subscription-based models that eliminate heavy upfront capital expenditure. With the global RaaS market projected to exceed USD 7 billion by 2032 and ABI Research forecasting over 1.3 million deployments by 2026, adoption is accelerating, especially in logistics and mobile robotics. RaaS enables SMEs to experiment, scale, and compete without capital risk, democratising advanced automation.

India’s nuclear robotics market, valued at USD 92 million in 2025, is projected to reach USD 224 million by 2031 at a robust 15.9% CAGR. The enactment of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, which ends the state monopoly in nuclear energy, opens new avenues for private participation, innovation and robotics-driven modernization. India’s nuclear infrastructure faces operational, safety and security issues. Scheduled outages are quite expensive and unscheduled downtime is even more disruptive. At Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, a 65-day maintenance outage triggered power shortages, forcing southern states to procure electricity at above average rates from alternative sources, thereby leading to a higher burden on the pockets of the consumers. Robotics-enabled predictive maintenance can significantly reduce such economic shocks.

Strict dose limits enforced by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for workers require adherence to the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle. Robotics enables remote inspections, dismantling, fuel handling and radioactive waste management, minimizing human exposure. Further, the 2019 cyberattack at Kudankulam highlighted systemic vulnerabilities. AI-enabled robotics can enhance cybersecurity monitoring and physical asset protection, strengthening resilience across India’s nuclear ecosystem.

Way Forward & Conclusion

A new wave of robotics startups like CynLr, Ati Motors and Unbox Robotics are innovating and raising millions from angel investors and venture capitalists. Companies like Addverb Technologies were acquired by Reliance Retail with a majority stake of 54 % for $132 million and received orders worth about $1 billion from Reliance Industries. Not just the private sector but state-backed institutions like DRDO’s Daksh and ISRO’s Vyomitra are noteworthy contributions towards the ecosystem.

To enhance this, India should establish structured bilateral robotics research pacts (such as joint laboratories with Germany, Japan, and South Korea) supported by clear IP ownership and technology-transfer frameworks to attract credible global partners. Simultaneously, policy incentives should encourage the “reverse flip” of high-potential robotics startups such as GreyOrange, Skild AI, and Orangewood Labs, thereby anchoring advanced R&D and manufacturing within India.

Alignment with existing drone regulations, Information Technology Act, 2000 and Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 are essential for coherent and harmonious governance. In United States v. Athlone Industries Inc., the court observed that robots and AI systems, not being natural or legal persons, cannot be held independently liable for damage caused. This may prove inadequate in an era of highly autonomous technologies, creating accountability gaps, particularly in sensitive sectors such as defence and nuclear energy. To address this, harm resulting from clear human instructions, liability must be attributed to the user or owner under principles of agency and vicarious liability. However, when AI systems act autonomously beyond foreseeable instructions, vicarious liability may not automatically apply unless effective human control is established. In cases involving design defects, flawed data or inadequate safeguards, product liability principles would shift responsibility to the manufacturer, as seen in self-driving car disputes. Therefore, the established jurisprudence of vicarious liability and principles of agency may fall short in adjudicating such cases. This issue is not in the realm of jurisprudence to be evolved by courts, but a comprehensive legislative effort backed by data and stakeholder consultation is required.

Robotics is no longer a futuristic ambition but a strategic necessity for economic competitiveness, industrial resilience and national security. Therefore, India should adopt a sandbox-first Robotics Act based on the draft, supported by a dedicated regulatory agency comprising of not just bureaucrats, as is demonstrated historically in the Indian context, but relevant stakeholders from academia and industry.

Mr. Yash Patel

Advocate at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court

Former Senior Associate at Khaitan & Co.

Email: advocate.yashpatel@gmail.com

Mr. Madhvendra Kumar Jha

2nd Year Law Student, National Law University, Lucknow

Email: madhvendrakumarjha.rmlnlu@gmail.com