Latest news with #UnmannedAerialSystems
Technical.ly
a day ago
- Automotive
- Technical.ly
After high-profile derailments, this founder turned his engineering skills toward improving rail safety
After two deadly train crashes made headlines in 2023, Tejas Agarwal was inspired to create rail infrastructure technology, but was unsure how to turn the idea into a startup. While Agarwal always had an interest in starting his own company, he faced unique challenges as an immigrant in the United States. But the East Palestine, Ohio, and Odisha, India, train accidents spurred his idea into action. In 2023, Agarwal founded Sahay AI, a robotics company that uses an AI-based system to inspect railroad infrastructure. Then, last October, Agarwal's advisor sent him an application for Unshackled Ventures, a VC firm that specializes in supporting immigrant entrepreneurs. He applied and got $150,000 in funding, pushing him to pursue Sahay AI full-time, and a few months later, it landed on 2025 RealLIST Startups list. Originally from India, Agarwal completed his undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering. However, his main interest at the time was in aerial design and engineering, which he pursued as an extracurricular. As he continued his work in robotics, his specific interest in drones emerged. He used to watch online lectures from Vijay Kumar, the current dean of Penn Engineering, and decided he wanted to go to the University of Pennsylvania to study drones. He moved to Philly in 2021 to complete his master's degree, where one of his professors sparked his interest in self-driving cars. He got involved with the Autoware Foundation based out of Pennovation and started working there after graduating in 2023, eventually building up the skills to branch out on his own. In this edition of How I Got Here series, Agarwal discusses the current events that led to founding Sahay AI, why robotics seemed cooler than software and how his immigrant experience helped him found a company. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. How did you become interested in robotics? In undergrad, I got the opportunity to work with this club at my university called Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAVs), where we started designing reconnaissance UAVs and inspection drones. That's basically where my first interest in robotics started. We won global competitions all around the world, even in the US. That made it clear to me that I wanted to do something in the technology space on the robotics side. I felt like software was great, but through robotics, I could actually change something in the world. It feels more gratifying — and it looked cool, honestly. 'Software was great, but through robotics, I could actually change something in the world.' Sahay AI founder Tejas Agarwal What led you to start your company? I knew I wanted to start a company because I felt like I couldn't do anything else. I wanted to do everything, the tech, the sales, the team building. I wanted to use all of my skills that I learned over the years. There were a couple of things that happened that pushed me into the idea for Sahay AI. The first one was a rail accident that happened in February 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio. Norfolk Southern, a freight train, got derailed due to faulty equipment on their side. In June of 2023, there was another train accident in India where three trains collided and 300 people ended up dying. I was curious about what's going on. I found out that the rail industry was very archaic. People were still walking on the track to do inspections. Now, this would be okay if the trains were not in operation, but because the trains are continuously in operation, and there are only specific intervals where these guys can actually go. I realized there might be a problem of just data abstraction, or people are not getting to see what they're supposed to see. How has being an immigrant impacted your entrepreneurship experience? The pros are that you come from the perspective of two different countries. You have those cultural learnings from when you were growing up, and now you have to adjust to a completely different cultural setting. You have to learn a bit of the lingo. In terms of cons, the visa issues are a thing. I think that's a common stress that immigrants have to face. Even if you're on a job here, it's a big issue. It's good to just keep on working and concentrate on what you're here to do. Unshackled Ventures has really been awesome on that front. They've taken care of all of the responsibility for the visas so that I can focus on the business. What lessons have you learned from starting Sahay AI? There's a big learning curve, especially coming from an engineering background; there's so much to learn. There is sales, there is business development, there is hiring, there's team management. It's not just tech. The biggest one is to keep learning. One thing I've felt is that the more I learn, the more I know about my own sector, the better I am in conversations and the better knowledge I can give to my teammates to grow the company better. Learn everything that you can about running a company. If you want somebody to do something for you, you need to have that bit of knowledge to actually hold a conversation, ask good questions and make sure they're doing everything right. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a company? Research, learn and do not hold back. In school, I felt that web development was not my cup of tea, and I would never need to do it. Actually, I've designed five websites since then. Play around with stuff, talk to as many people as you can, because people are the biggest sources of knowledge, and there's no better way you grow in life than talking to people. One thing that I tell myself every day is, nobody knows what they're doing, so don't put yourself down. You can do it.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi attends 12th Key Leader Engagement virtually
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on Thursday attended the 12th Key Leader Engagement hosted virtually by US Navy's Pacific fleet Admiral Stephen T. Koehler, the Indian Navy said in an official statement. Admiral Tripathi highlighted his vision on 'achieving maritime security in the Indo-Pacific through innovation and technology' in the key Leader Engagement on Wednesday, which involved 19 nations. 'Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, CNS, attended the 12th Key Leader Engagement hosted virtually by Adm Stephen T Koehler, @USPacificFleet, on Jun 25, involving 19 nations. CNS highlighted his vision on 'Achieving Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific Through Innovation and Technology,' the Indian Navy said on X. On June 13, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said that Operation Sindoor is on a pause, but it is an operation in progress. Speaking to ANI, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said, 'The Operation Sindoor is under pause; it is still underway. As a Naval Chief, I will reserve my comments on this. It's an operation in progress.' On counter-drone systems, he said that non-contact warfare will stay, and this area of weapons and equipment was not catered to 10-12 years ago. 'It is undeniable that non-contact warfare is going to stay. In it, drones and loitering munitions, and therefore defence against them in terms of counter-drone systems, there is a whole series of weapons and equipment that one had probably not catered for 10-12 years ago,' he said on Thursday. Earlier on June 13, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, accompanied by Chairman of Solar Industries India Limited, Satyanarayan Nuwal, reviewed the manufacturing processes of various defence products at the firm's headquarters in Nagpur. Speaking to ANI, the Navy Chief lauded the products and progress made by Solar Industries India Ltd. He added that there needs to be synergy between the public and private sectors, as the latter is new in defence production. 'It's really eye-opening to see what progress has been made by Solar (Solar Group) in the last 14-15 years. As far as the synergy between the public and private sectors in the defence ecosystem is concerned, it is a must because some public sector companies have been working in this field for many decades, and private companies are relatively new. So there is a need for them to talk to each other and learn from each other,' Admiral Tripathi told ANI. Chairman of Solar Industries India Ltd, Satyanarayan Nuwal, said that they showed the Navy Chief their drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). They also showed the navy officials their Counter-Unmanned Aerial System, Bhargavastra. Talking to ANI, Satyanarayan Nuwal said, 'Today, we mainly showed our facility with drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). We showed the composite manufacturing unit of UAS. We also showed Bhargavastra (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System) to them... This counter-drone system is a significant thing... Considering present situations, we learnt that the biggest need is for long-range missiles. We have already presented a proposal in this regard...' (ANI)
The Print
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
Garuda Aerospace sets up agri-drones indigenisation facility near Chennai
Spread across 35,000 sq ft at Thalambur, near the city, the state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan on Thursday. The facility, a first-of-its-kind initiative, augments Garuda Aerospace's existing manufacturing unit located near Chennai and a major leap in advancing drone manufacturing. The products that would be produced at the facility include 7 subsystems (of Unmanned Aerial Systems), 33 parts among others. The production would be covered under the Centre's ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign. Chennai, Jun 13 (PTI) Drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace has established an Agri-Drone Indigenisation facility near the city to design and manufacture advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems among many others, a top official said on Friday. Garuda Aerospace also launched 300 Centres of Excellence, established in association with various educational institutions and industry partners across the country. It would advance drone innovation, research and skill development. A Train-the-Trainer programme aimed at enhancing skills on operating the drones was also unveiled on the occasion. 'Our new Agri-Drone Indigenisation facility is equipped to manufacture over 33 different parts and 7 subsystems. This reinforces our commitment to self-reliance,' Garuda Aerospace founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said in a release here. 'All of these efforts and initiatives have powered Garuda Aerospace to become one of India's most valuable drone startups, with a fast-growing global footprint,' he said. A live demonstration of Agri-Drones showcasing Garuda Aerospace's commitment to fostering self-reliance and innovation within the burgeoning drone ecosystem was also conducted on the occasion. PTI VIJ VIJ KH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Business Standard
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Garuda Aerospace opens agri-drone indigenisation unit near Chennai
Drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace has established an Agri-Drone Indigenisation facility near the city to design and manufacture advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems among many others, a top official said on Friday. The facility, a first-of-its-kind initiative, augments Garuda Aerospace's existing manufacturing unit located near Chennai and a major leap in advancing drone manufacturing. The products that would be produced at the facility include 7 subsystems (of Unmanned Aerial Systems), 33 parts among others. The production would be covered under the Centre's ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign. Spread across 35,000 sq ft at Thalambur, near the city, the state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan on Thursday. Garuda Aerospace also launched 300 Centres of Excellence, established in association with various educational institutions and industry partners across the country. It would advance drone innovation, research and skill development. A Train-the-Trainer programme aimed at enhancing skills on operating the drones was also unveiled on the occasion. "Our new Agri-Drone Indigenisation facility is equipped to manufacture over 33 different parts and 7 subsystems. This reinforces our commitment to self-reliance," Garuda Aerospace founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said in a release here. "All of these efforts and initiatives have powered Garuda Aerospace to become one of India's most valuable drone startups, with a fast-growing global footprint," he said. A live demonstration of Agri-Drones showcasing Garuda Aerospace's commitment to fostering self-reliance and innovation within the burgeoning drone ecosystem was also conducted on the occasion. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India Gazette
13-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Nagpur: Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi reviews defence products of Solar Industries India Ltd
Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 13 (ANI): Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, accompanied by Chairman of Solar Industries India Limited, Satyanarayan Nuwal, reviewed the manufacturing processes of various defence products at the firm's headquarters in Nagpur. The visuals show Navy Chief Admiral Tripathi, accompanied by Naval officers, reviewing defence products by Solar Industries India Ltd. Speaking to ANI, the Navy Chief lauded the products and progress made by Solar Industries India Ltd. He added that there needs to be synergy between the public and private sectors, as the latter is new in defence production. 'It's really eye-opening to see what progress has been made by Solar (Solar Group) in the last 14-15 years. As far as the synergy between the public and private sectors in the defence ecosystem is concerned, it is a must because some public sector companies have been working in this field for many decades, and private companies are relatively new. So there is a need for them to talk to each other, learn from each other,' Admiral Tripathi told ANI. Chairman of Solar Industries India Ltd, Satyanarayan Nuwal, said that they showed the Navy Chief their drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). They also showed the navy officials their Counter-Unmanned Aerial System, Bhargavastra. Speaking to ANI, Satyanarayan Nuwal said, 'Today, we mainly showed our facility with drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). We showed the composite manufacturing unit of UAS. We also showed Bhargavastra (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System) to counter-drone system is a significant present situations, we learned that the biggest need is for long-range missiles. We have already presented a proposal in this regard...' Meanwhile, Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries India Ltd, successfully completed the trial of its Hybrid VTOL UAV Rudrastra at the Pokharan Firing Range on Wednesday. The trial was conducted in accordance with the Indian Army's performance parameters, including vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), high endurance, precision targeting, and mission flexibility. The UAV demonstrated robust operational capability, covering a mission radius of over 50 km with a stable real-time video link and successfully returning to the original launch point. The total range, including loitering at the target area, exceeded 170 km, with an estimated endurance of approximately 1.5 hours. A significant highlight of the trial was the successful deployment of a precision-guided anti-personnel warhead. Dropped from medium altitude, the munition executed an airburst detonation at low height, achieving a lethal effect over a wide radius, meeting tactical effectiveness benchmarks. (ANI)
