Reliance Robotics and IIT Madras Unveil Astra-1 Humanoid Robot - RobotWale News

Reliance Robotics and IIT Madras Launch Astra-1 Humanoid Robot

On October 15, 2024, Reliance Robotics in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras officially unveiled Astra-1, a fully operational humanoid robot tailored for India’s industrial and healthcare sectors. The announcement was made at the India Robotics Expo in Bengaluru, marking a significant step toward domestic humanoid robotics manufacturing.

Technical Specifications and Capabilities

Astra-1 stands 1.7 meters tall and weighs 65 kilograms, featuring a custom-designed torque-controlled joint system and a 48-volt battery pack providing up to eight hours of continuous operation. The robot integrates a localized AI navigation module developed by IIT Madras’s Centre for AI and Robotics, enabling it to handle complex pick-and-place tasks, inventory management, and basic patient assistance in clinical settings.

The system runs on a proprietary ROS 2-based architecture with real-time sensor fusion from LiDAR, depth cameras, and tactile feedback gloves. Reliance Robotics confirmed that Astra-1 can navigate unstructured factory floors and adapt to dynamic work environments without requiring pre-laid magnetic guides or Wi-Fi infrastructure.

Pricing and India Market Relevance

Priced at ₹18 lakh (approximately $21,500), Astra-1 is positioned as one of the most affordable humanoid robots in the Asian market. The company plans to offer the unit through a lease-to-own model for SMEs, with monthly payments starting at ₹45,000. Government subsidies under the Production Linked Incentive scheme for robotics will further reduce the effective cost for Indian manufacturers.

Reliance Robotics has committed to assembling Astra-1 at its new facility in Tamil Nadu, creating over 400 skilled engineering jobs. Initial deployments will target automotive component suppliers in Chennai and textile mills in Tirupur, with pilot programs scheduled to begin in Q1 2025.

Industry Response and Future Roadmap

The launch follows growing global interest in humanoid automation, with competitors like Figure, Tesla, and Agility Robotics targeting premium enterprise markets. By focusing on localized AI training data, ruggedized components suited for tropical climates, and competitive pricing, Reliance Robotics aims to capture a dominant share of India’s projected ₹12,000 crore humanoid robotics market by 2027.

Plans for the Astra-2 variant, which will include advanced dexterous manipulation and multilingual voice interaction in regional Indian languages, are already in development. The company expects to open beta testing to registered partners by December 2024.