India Accelerator’s new vertical to focus on robotics, unmanned systems and space 

To back the robotics and unmanned start-up ecosystem, India Accelerator has announced the launch of a new vertical – RUMS (Robotics, Unmanned & Space) – to spur innovation and drive growth for potential start-ups in the industry.  

The company, which claims to be India’s only dedicated accelerator vertical to propel the robotics and unmanned ecosystem growth, will focus on providing strategic support to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Counterdrone Systems, ground robots, and space start-ups. In the initial stage, the accelerator projects to inject $10-15 million capital in early-stage start-ups, exhibiting potential in this space, through its partner entity Finvolve.  

IA will lean on several experts to help select and grow the start-ups. Lt. Gen Anil Chait, a former Indian Army veteran, will be leading RUMS. He has 40 years of experience encompassing armoured corps operations, counter-insurgency warfare and disaster relief missions. 

“The vertical represents the venture into unchartered territories as robotics and unmanned technologies are the forerunners of modern defence, warfare, healthcare accessibility and other critical industries. We look forward to cultivating innovation in revolutionising diverse industries and fortifying national security,” said Lt. Gen. Chait, Chief Advisor of RUMS.  

With RUMS, IA aims to be at the forefront in uplifting the robotics and unmanned start-ups, bolstering the country’s Make in India initiative. 

Elaborating on setting up RUMS, Arindam Mukhopadhyay, Partner & Head of Corporate Innovation at India Accelerator, said, “As innovation knows no bounds, we are continuing to witness an upsurge in robotics and unmanned start-ups in defence use cases. At the same time, the use of robotics and UAVs has expanded to agriculture, warehousing, healthcare, logistics, and more. Looking at the robust need for agile technology solutions and the proliferation of start-ups in this segment, we aim to capitalise on the opportunity with the unveiling of our latest endeavour.” 

As part of the inception of RUMS, IA invested almost $1 million in a Bengaluru-based deep-tech start-up through Micro VC fund Finvolve. This star-tup has built advanced air defence aerial systems for rapid deployment, resilient ISR, precision strikes and countermeasure capabilities in contested environments.