Speaking to PTI, Kumar said the rapid advancement of physical AI will transform industries, but humans will continue to remain at the centre of decision-making. “Humans will always be in the loop. Regulation has to quickly catch up with what is happening in the world of robotics and automation, but at least for the next 20 years, I don’t think there will be any robot that will dominate human beings,” Kumar said. Addressing concerns over automation-led job losses, he emphasized that while repetitive and physically demanding tasks will increasingly be automated, robotics will also generate new employment opportunities by improving industrial productivity. He urged professionals to continuously upgrade their skills, noting that lifelong learning will become essential in the AI-driven economy.

Founded in 2016 by former Asian Paints executives Sangeet Kumar, Prateek Jain, Satish Shukla, and Bir Singh, Addverb has grown into one of India’s leading robotics and warehouse automation companies. The company serves more than 350 customers across over 25 countries through subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, Singapore, and Australia, with revenue evenly split between domestic and international markets.   The company reported a turnover of ₹700 crore in the last financial year and entered the current fiscal with an order book of approximately ₹1,300 crore, reflecting strong business momentum.Addverb operates its research and development centre, known as Bot Valley, in Noida, where collaborative robots and quadrupeds are developed. Its flagship manufacturing facility, Bot Verse, located in Greater Noida, is designed to produce up to 100,000 mobile robots annually, making it one of the world’s largest single-location manufacturing facilities for mobile robots. The plant has been built to support annual revenues of up to ₹8,500 crore.

The company’s automation portfolio includes autonomous mobile robots, sorting robots, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), and robotic picking solutions. It is now expanding aggressively into advanced robotics, including collaborative robots, quadrupeds for industrial surveillance and defence applications, and humanoid robots.   Kumar noted that Addverb launched Elixis-W, India’s first indigenously developed wheeled humanoid robot for industrial applications, at LogiMAT India earlier this year, while a legged humanoid version is currently under development and training ahead of its commercial launch.   Addverb has also diversified its business beyond its traditional retail and e-commerce customer base. While the segment once contributed nearly 90-95% of revenue, it now accounts for around 30%, with consumer goods, chemicals, petrochemicals, renewable energy, electronics, defence, and industrial manufacturing emerging as key growth sectors.Highlighting India’s growing opportunity in advanced manufacturing, Kumar said rising investments in solar module production, battery manufacturing, and industrial electronics are driving significant demand for robotics and automation solutions.   Looking ahead, Addverb plans to raise fresh capital to accelerate its expansion into next-generation robotics and strengthen its global footprint.

“We want to be among the top five robotics companies in the world in the next 10 years. That cannot happen by serving only the domestic market. We have to build a truly multinational company,” Kumar said, adding that although Addverb remains a relatively young company, it has reached an inflection point and is well-positioned to compete with established global automation leaders.