Tonbo is making investments in similar technology. https://tonboimaging.com/tonbo/portfolio/star/
Competition is always good.
Ajai Shukla did a write up on his blog on this : Broadsword: Start-ups like Big Bang Boom Solutions to drive innovation in weaponry
Start-ups like Big Bang Boom Solutions to drive innovation in weaponry
Big Bang Boom looks to create greater battlefield awareness for crews in the army's 4,000 tanks
By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 8th Apr 19
When the ministry of defence (MoD) launched its so-called Start-up Challenge under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme, inviting start-ups to propose solutions for 15 specified technologies, bureaucrats knew they would be dealing with very different people and companies than the public sector they were accustomed to.
Even so, there were barely-suppressed smiles when a Hyderabad-based start-up called Big Bang Boom Solutions won the challenge to develop “see through armour” for tanks. While the start-up’s technology plan is ingenious, its financial plan is unique.
The company’s technology intends to make crewmembers inside a closed, armoured tank fully aware of what is outside. To achieve this crewmembers’ helmets are fed an integrated visual image, stitched together from a dozen video cameras outside that together look in all directions.
Since tanks became the army’s most potent weapon a century ago, crewmembers have been hampered by “battlefield blindness” -- the situational disorientation that stems from shutting themselves into an enclosed armoured compartment. If Big Bang Boom Solutions manages to translate the Rs 1.5 crore iDEX award into a functional system, it would greatly enhance the combat capability of crews in the army’s 4,000 tanks.
Praveen Dwarakanath, the chief executive of Big Bang Boom Solutions, explains the key challenge is one of data fusion, or combining inputs from multiple sensors into the crews’ augmented reality helmets. Intelligent analytics further refine the images.
“In addition, our plan caters for exchanging images between adjoining tank units through secure communication channels. This will allow a more complete battlefield view,” explains Dwarakanath.
Big Bang Boom Solutions was established in April 2018 by two engineering college classmates. Dwarakanath, who did an MBA from IIM Lucknow, manages business development and finances, while Shivaraman Ramaswamy, a nanotechnology Ph.D., organises and oversees research.
With the start-up focusing mainly on systems integration, it outsources most research and development (R&D). Both partners leverage a decade of working in the R&D domain to direct the work to the right laboratory and scientist.
“We are very familiar with the research environment. We know which IIT laboratory has what equipment, what skills, and which professor or research student can handle which task,” said Dwarakanath.
Unusually for a start-up, Big Bang Boom Solutions has a clear business plan that Dwarakanath sums up as “Earning the money before spending it.”
The company plans to use the Rs 1.5 crore iDEX award in the “see through armour” development, with additional money being raised from angel investors. The working prototype that emerges, it will be offered to the army in the Make-2 procurement category, which bypasses the need for long-drawn-out contracting.
“If the military doesn’t buy our solution, we will seek other buyers, perhaps a smaller friendly country, where the procurement process takes one-twentieth the time. This would de-risk our business and enable us to continue R&D,” says Dwarakanath.
Big Bang Boom Solutions has an innovative financing model for attracting investors, which it created after convertible notes became legal in 2016. This model bases the relationship between investor and start-up on a convertible note that allows the investor the option of purchasing the equity of the start up at a future date at a pre-decided value.
In this model, the start-up does not use the investor’s money for R&D. Instead it parks the money with a hedge fund that invests it in the market, remitting only the returns to the start-up for research. The capital remains insulated and, three years later, even if the start-up has failed, the investor gets back his principal.
The promoters of Big Bang Boom are, in their individual capacities, already setting up such a hedge fund, using Rs 20 crore of personal finance. Dwarakanath says that, once SEBI clears this, they will offer the use of this hedge fund to all Indian start-ups.
How this freewheeling technology-finance entrepreneurship performs remains to be seen. For now, however, Big Bang Boom Solutions is scoring on the technology front. Dwarakanath says that besides the “see through armour” win, the firm is also a finalist in the “Illegal usage of drones” category. This requires start-ups to develop solutions for shooting down illegal drones, using kinetic and non-kinetic means.
Thales, Kalyani Group signs pact to manufacture next-generation weapons systems
The agreement was signed by MKK Iyer, vice president (Defence), Kalyani Group, and Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP and country director India, Thales
PTI Last Updated: April 8, 2019 | 21:42 IST
Representative Image
Defence major Thales and the Kalyani Group have finalised a new collaboration to manufacture next-generation weapons systems for India.
The two companies have inked an agreement for the joint venture.
"Kalyani Group and Thales have formalised a new collaboration for the design, development and manufacture of next-generation weapons systems for the defence and law enforcement sectors in India and abroad," the two companies said in a joint statement.
It added that the collaboration would leverage Thales's more than 100 years of experience in the design, development and manufacture of the world's leading defence systems.
The agreement was signed by MKK Iyer, vice president (Defence), Kalyani Group, and Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP and country director India, Thales.
"We are very excited to enter the military weapon systems segment. This alliance will combine Thales's advanced technology, knowledge and experience as an OEM with world-class design, development and manufacturing capabilities of the Kalyani Group," Rajinder Singh Bhatia, president and CEO (Defence and Aerospace) of the Kalyani Group, said.
"Our cooperation aims to provide indigenously manufactured solutions for both the Indian and international markets, thereby furthering the Make in India initiative of the government," he added.
Kevin Wall, VP (vehicles and tactical systems), Thales, said his company was pleased to bring high-end technology from Australia and work in close collaboration with the Kalyani Group for the design and development of next-generation defence systems, including variants of the F90 assault rifle.
"This new collaboration will help us serve India as well as international markets. This partnership is the result of our ambition to support soldiers on operations with next generation, cutting-edge technology and reaffirms our commitment to India," he added.
Thales, Kalyani Group signs pact to manufacture next-generation weapons systems
The agreement was signed by MKK Iyer, vice president (Defence), Kalyani Group, and Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP and country director India, Thales
PTI Last Updated: April 8, 2019 | 21:42 IST
Representative Image
Defence major Thales and the Kalyani Group have finalised a new collaboration to manufacture next-generation weapons systems for India.
The two companies have inked an agreement for the joint venture.
"Kalyani Group and Thales have formalised a new collaboration for the design, development and manufacture of next-generation weapons systems for the defence and law enforcement sectors in India and abroad," the two companies said in a joint statement.
It added that the collaboration would leverage Thales's more than 100 years of experience in the design, development and manufacture of the world's leading defence systems.
The agreement was signed by MKK Iyer, vice president (Defence), Kalyani Group, and Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP and country director India, Thales.
"We are very excited to enter the military weapon systems segment. This alliance will combine Thales's advanced technology, knowledge and experience as an OEM with world-class design, development and manufacturing capabilities of the Kalyani Group," Rajinder Singh Bhatia, president and CEO (Defence and Aerospace) of the Kalyani Group, said.
"Our cooperation aims to provide indigenously manufactured solutions for both the Indian and international markets, thereby furthering the Make in India initiative of the government," he added.
Kevin Wall, VP (vehicles and tactical systems), Thales, said his company was pleased to bring high-end technology from Australia and work in close collaboration with the Kalyani Group for the design and development of next-generation defence systems, including variants of the F90 assault rifle.
"This new collaboration will help us serve India as well as international markets. This partnership is the result of our ambition to support soldiers on operations with next generation, cutting-edge technology and reaffirms our commitment to India," he added.
Thales, Kalyani Group signs pact to manufacture next-generation weapons systems
Old news from Feb 22, 2019
Bharat Forge looks to build quadcopter, to help Army carry on mountainous terrain
By: FE Bureau | Published: February 22, 2019 12:15 AM
The Kalyani Group has conducted a successful flight of its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). An UAV team was created at their R&D centre in Pune and their first UAV flew successfully after all possible technical simulations, Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge, said.
Bharat Forge looks to build quadcopter
The Kalyani Group has conducted a successful flight of its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). An UAV team was created at their R&D centre in Pune and their first UAV flew successfully after all possible technical simulations, Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge, said.
The next challenge is to build a quadcopter that can lift 50 kgs of weight, to help the army carry things in mountainous regions, Kalyani said.
The Kalyani group was working towards high-tech products such as guided bombs (250 kgs to 1,000 kgs), giving bombs a high level of accuracy, landing gear components and warhead seekers apart from the UAVs.
Foreign OEM Leiber was buying landing gear components from Bharat Forge and was now also had an opportunity to supply for Airbus very soon, Kalyani said.
They are also working on turbo machinery, which started three to four years ago and is a ten year plan to make small turbines, small jet engines (up to 1,000-1,200 kgs) usable for helicopters as well, he said. “This is our next opportunity as India is looking to purchase over 1,500 choppers over 10 and on an average one helicopter needs three times engines so the number of engines required will be quite high,” Kalyani said.
Currently, supply components to big companies like Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Liebher, HAL etc., aim to substantially increase this with more value addition,
The Kalyani Group has announced three defence and aerospace partnerships at the Aero show in Bengaluru with AMG Partners, USA, defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd and Belcan LLC.
Bharat Forge and AMG Partners to get into a partnership to invest in new and advanced technologies in defence and aerospace domain where they will identify global advanced manufacturing technologies for joint development, licensing and world-class manufacturing operations in India. The Kalyani Group and Belcan, LLC have got into a partnership to provide advanced technological product and service offerings in defence, aerospace, and other technical segments in India. The companies will work together in the design and development of helicopter engines and transmission systems in defence and aerospace, as well as collaborate on advanced manufacturing practices and digital manufacturing & IoT solutions. With Bharat Electronics the co-operation in defence and aerospace products/systems is to jointly capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the domestic market.
Bharat Forge looks to build quadcopter, to help Army carry on mountainous terrain
Bharat Forge looks to build quadcopter, to help Army carry on mountainous terrain
By: FE Bureau | Published: February 22, 2019 12:15 AM
The Kalyani Group has conducted a successful flight of its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). An UAV team was created at their R&D centre in Pune and their first UAV flew successfully after all possible technical simulations, Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge, said.
Bharat Forge looks to build quadcopter
The Kalyani Group has conducted a successful flight of its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). An UAV team was created at their R&D centre in Pune and their first UAV flew successfully after all possible technical simulations, Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge, said.
The next challenge is to build a quadcopter that can lift 50 kgs of weight, to help the army carry things in mountainous regions, Kalyani said.
The Kalyani group was working towards high-tech products such as guided bombs (250 kgs to 1,000 kgs), giving bombs a high level of accuracy, landing gear components and warhead seekers apart from the UAVs.
Foreign OEM Leiber was buying landing gear components from Bharat Forge and was now also had an opportunity to supply for Airbus very soon, Kalyani said.
They are also working on turbo machinery, which started three to four years ago and is a ten year plan to make small turbines, small jet engines (up to 1,000-1,200 kgs) usable for helicopters as well, he said. “This is our next opportunity as India is looking to purchase over 1,500 choppers over 10 and on an average one helicopter needs three times engines so the number of engines required will be quite high,” Kalyani said.
Currently, supply components to big companies like Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Liebher, HAL etc., aim to substantially increase this with more value addition,
The Kalyani Group has announced three defence and aerospace partnerships at the Aero show in Bengaluru with AMG Partners, USA, defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd and Belcan LLC.
Bharat Forge and AMG Partners to get into a partnership to invest in new and advanced technologies in defence and aerospace domain where they will identify global advanced manufacturing technologies for joint development, licensing and world-class manufacturing operations in India. The Kalyani Group and Belcan, LLC have got into a partnership to provide advanced technological product and service offerings in defence, aerospace, and other technical segments in India. The companies will work together in the design and development of helicopter engines and transmission systems in defence and aerospace, as well as collaborate on advanced manufacturing practices and digital manufacturing & IoT solutions. With Bharat Electronics the co-operation in defence and aerospace products/systems is to jointly capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the domestic market.
Bharat Forge looks to build quadcopter, to help Army carry on mountainous terrain
We don't hear a lot about this company. But heck they are an established player.
ᴜᴅᴀʏᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏʙʏ ᴍᴀʟʜᴏᴜᴛʀᴀ on Twitter
ᴜᴅᴀʏᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏʙʏ ᴍᴀʟʜᴏᴜᴛʀᴀ on Twitter
The Defence Industry Can Lead The Next Phase Of Industrial Growth In India: Jayant Patil
In an interview with BW Businessworld, Jayant Patil, Board Member & Sr. Ex. V P- Defence, L & T talks about defence industry, policy framework and more
17April, 2019
by Manish Kumar Jha
On the defence industry emerging as the catalyst of industrial growth in the next ten years
By 2025 the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP is targeted to grow from 17 per cent to 25 per cent. To reach this target, the manufacturing sector needs to grow at a CAGR of more than 14 per cent. The defence sector can be a game changer and play a major role towards achieving this vision. I believe, with the right set of policies in place, with appropriate budgetary support, the defence industry can lead the next phase of industrial growth in India.
With the revenue growth in public sector defence enterprises stabilised at a CAGR of 8-8.5 per cent, there is plenty of room for growth of the private sector, given the policy focus towards indigenising defence. For example, L&T has been active in the defence and strategic sector since the 1980s and has built an enviable track record. Over the years L &T has established state-of-the-art dedicated work centres, including a globally benchmarked naval shipyard and submarine construction facilities at Kattupalli and Hazira, an armoured systems manufacturing and testing complex at Hazira, a precision manufacturing and systems complex for aerospace and missiles manufacturing and integration at Coimbatore, an advanced composites facility at Vadodara and Coimbatore, a specialised strategic systems complex for weapon and engineering systems and sensors at Talegaon, Pune, a strategic electronics centre at Bangalore, and a marine switchgear & control systems unit at Navi Mumbai.
On the policy framework at the macro level
The current leadership has put defence manufacturing at the core of its Make in India initiative, with focus on achieving self-reliance and building exports to friendly nations as a strategic imperative. Over the past few years, the AoN approval process has been fast tracked. Industry is heard before making all fresh acquisition categorisation decisions and consequently, the increased number of programmes being categorised with a policy bias towards indigenous sourcing in the form of ‘Buy Indian’, IDDM, or ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’. This will serve well in the short to medium term and provide opportunities to industry to prove capabilities and enhance indigenisation.
On the policy overhaul necessary
There is continued ordering on government-owned and government-controlled public sector undertakings in keeping with old decisions. This is visible from more than 90 per cent orders (by value) nominated across the naval segment and nearly entire orders in the air segment. There is a serious need for decision makers to treat private investments on par with investments in the public sector as national assets and trust the private industry as nation-builders and provide them a level playing field.
On the offset policy necessary
Post liberalisation, the private sector has proven that it can significantly scale up with speed and attain global benchmarks. For example, L&T is producing the K9 Vajra-T Howitzers. It is often heard from FOEMs that the Indian defence industry does not have the ability to absorb the quantum of offsets, while the truth is completely different as can be seen from a number of spectacular success stories of Make in India in the defence sector.
The Defence Industry Can Lead The Next Phase Of Industrial Growth In India: Jayant Patil
In an interview with BW Businessworld, Jayant Patil, Board Member & Sr. Ex. V P- Defence, L & T talks about defence industry, policy framework and more
17April, 2019
by Manish Kumar Jha
On the defence industry emerging as the catalyst of industrial growth in the next ten years
By 2025 the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP is targeted to grow from 17 per cent to 25 per cent. To reach this target, the manufacturing sector needs to grow at a CAGR of more than 14 per cent. The defence sector can be a game changer and play a major role towards achieving this vision. I believe, with the right set of policies in place, with appropriate budgetary support, the defence industry can lead the next phase of industrial growth in India.
With the revenue growth in public sector defence enterprises stabilised at a CAGR of 8-8.5 per cent, there is plenty of room for growth of the private sector, given the policy focus towards indigenising defence. For example, L&T has been active in the defence and strategic sector since the 1980s and has built an enviable track record. Over the years L &T has established state-of-the-art dedicated work centres, including a globally benchmarked naval shipyard and submarine construction facilities at Kattupalli and Hazira, an armoured systems manufacturing and testing complex at Hazira, a precision manufacturing and systems complex for aerospace and missiles manufacturing and integration at Coimbatore, an advanced composites facility at Vadodara and Coimbatore, a specialised strategic systems complex for weapon and engineering systems and sensors at Talegaon, Pune, a strategic electronics centre at Bangalore, and a marine switchgear & control systems unit at Navi Mumbai.
On the policy framework at the macro level
The current leadership has put defence manufacturing at the core of its Make in India initiative, with focus on achieving self-reliance and building exports to friendly nations as a strategic imperative. Over the past few years, the AoN approval process has been fast tracked. Industry is heard before making all fresh acquisition categorisation decisions and consequently, the increased number of programmes being categorised with a policy bias towards indigenous sourcing in the form of ‘Buy Indian’, IDDM, or ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’. This will serve well in the short to medium term and provide opportunities to industry to prove capabilities and enhance indigenisation.
On the policy overhaul necessary
There is continued ordering on government-owned and government-controlled public sector undertakings in keeping with old decisions. This is visible from more than 90 per cent orders (by value) nominated across the naval segment and nearly entire orders in the air segment. There is a serious need for decision makers to treat private investments on par with investments in the public sector as national assets and trust the private industry as nation-builders and provide them a level playing field.
On the offset policy necessary
Post liberalisation, the private sector has proven that it can significantly scale up with speed and attain global benchmarks. For example, L&T is producing the K9 Vajra-T Howitzers. It is often heard from FOEMs that the Indian defence industry does not have the ability to absorb the quantum of offsets, while the truth is completely different as can be seen from a number of spectacular success stories of Make in India in the defence sector.
The Defence Industry Can Lead The Next Phase Of Industrial Growth In India: Jayant Patil
Private shipyard breaks the record! 50th warship of L&T gets commissioned
"As part of the government’s ‘Act East’ policy, the company is also building High-Speed Patrol Vessels for a friendly Nation in the south-east region." - Vietnam ?
"On these vessels the percentage of completion of pre-outfitting has increased, reducing the overall cycle time, thus enabling to accelerated delivery of defence ships in line with the requirements of the fleet expansion plans of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard." - What PSU shipyard seem to be consistently failing to do for the Navy. Well at least the Coast guards are having an easier time, largely because of the shipbuilding industry that the Navy nurtured and built.
"As part of the government’s ‘Act East’ policy, the company is also building High-Speed Patrol Vessels for a friendly Nation in the south-east region." - Vietnam ?
"On these vessels the percentage of completion of pre-outfitting has increased, reducing the overall cycle time, thus enabling to accelerated delivery of defence ships in line with the requirements of the fleet expansion plans of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard." - What PSU shipyard seem to be consistently failing to do for the Navy. Well at least the Coast guards are having an easier time, largely because of the shipbuilding industry that the Navy nurtured and built.
A few days back I posted about the ab initio development of CCD FPAs in the country done by ISRO. It turns out I was wrong, ISRO isn't the only one making FPA in country some private companies have been at it as well. Like this one here : Optimized Solutions
This is what they have to say about their product :
"CCD (Charge Coupled Device) detectors are used in Satellites for Topographical analysis of the Earth’s surface. These are especially designed for aerospace applications and go through severe quality tests various stages before being flown. At the final stage of inspection, the CCD is tested on live data under different light conditions to test characteristics of each pixel of the CCD. The detector had 12000 pixels divided into 8 ports. Frequency of the video output is decided by front-end electronics. Radiometer, External Pulse Generator and DMM are external instruments used in this test."
Now one important thing to keep in mind is that the ISRO was making CCD FPAs that works in the IR spectrum, this one is a visible light only CCD FPA.
Assuming the this CCD FPA sensor displayed here has a perfectly square aspect ratio. This one will power a camera with more than 144 megapixels(or 144 million pixels). How good is that from Satellite imagery point-of-view ? I don't know really. But it doesn't sound bad at all, especially when you realise that it was done by a private company.
This is what they have to say about their product :
"CCD (Charge Coupled Device) detectors are used in Satellites for Topographical analysis of the Earth’s surface. These are especially designed for aerospace applications and go through severe quality tests various stages before being flown. At the final stage of inspection, the CCD is tested on live data under different light conditions to test characteristics of each pixel of the CCD. The detector had 12000 pixels divided into 8 ports. Frequency of the video output is decided by front-end electronics. Radiometer, External Pulse Generator and DMM are external instruments used in this test."
Now one important thing to keep in mind is that the ISRO was making CCD FPAs that works in the IR spectrum, this one is a visible light only CCD FPA.
Assuming the this CCD FPA sensor displayed here has a perfectly square aspect ratio. This one will power a camera with more than 144 megapixels(or 144 million pixels). How good is that from Satellite imagery point-of-view ? I don't know really. But it doesn't sound bad at all, especially when you realise that it was done by a private company.
How this Gurugram startup is helping police, Indian army catch bad guys using AI
Staqu is using artificial intelligence to simplify the process of locating criminal suspects and correctly identifying them using a simple app. And then there are the spy glasses...
Ramarko Sengupta
30th Apr 2019
Violence cost India a staggering $1.19 trillion in 2017 in terms of constant purchasing power parity (PPP) according to a report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace last year. Purchasing power parity is a theory of measuring economic variables in different countries so that exchange rate variations do not distort comparisons. Expenses related to preventing, containing and dealing with the consequences of violence, along with, expenses on military and security were included in the cost.
That figure is equal to nine percent of India’s GDP (gross domestic product) for that year. Nine percent of GDP that the country lost to violence.
(L-R) Pankaj, Atul, Chetan, and Anurag.
To address the issue of violence and curb its impact on the country’s economy, Gurugram-based Staqu has been working with police forces from across the country to mitigate crime. The company has also been working with the Indian Army, a fact that it has revealed for the first time, exclusively to YourStory.
The company’s Co-founder and CEO, 29-year old Atul Rai is understandably reticent about the work they have been doing with the defence forces for the past one year.
So, how exactly is Staqu helping the police curb and solve crime?
Staqu realised that police forces in India “did not really have any tech on the ground” to help them curb or solve crimes. “And that’s when we realised that there is a use case for us,” says Atul.
In the safety and security space, Staqu offers three products: ABHED for fingerprint, facial and voice analysis, Jarvis for video analytics, and Pine for big data on criminals. These products can be accessed on multiple platforms, including a video wall panel, desktop, and mobile app.
To start with, criminal records data has never been digitized, so Staqu began its work there. Then it created an app called ABHED (Artificial Intelligence Based Human Efface Detection) for the Rajasthan Police in late 2017 to create a digital record of convicted criminals – a database that can be updated and is searchable.
For instance, if the police intercept or come across a suspect, they can take a picture of the person, and run it for matches on the criminal database through the app. Similarly, if a person is booked for a crime, their details can be added to the database via the app, on the spot.
Staqu then added another provision, to run fingerprints via the app to “eliminate the 1 percent chance of mistaken identity that may take place with visual identification”. To make the system watertight, Staqu also started to add voice samples of convicted criminals to the database.
To further boost visual identification, especially from CCTV footage which tends to be of poor quality, Staqu has also developed a low-resolution image search that will accurately help identify criminals.
Atul shares an instance where the police were looking for a robber in Ghaziabad. They used Staqu’s facial recognition software to match a sketch of the suspect through the database. As a result, they were able to catch the robber and recover Rs 2.5 lakh from him.
So far, the company has helped solve 1,100 criminal cases. Since inception, the platform has over 10 lakh criminal records, and is adding records of 1,000 criminals every day.
Straight out of a Hollywood thriller
The "spy" glasses developed by Staqu.
There’s one more nifty product from Staqu that seems like it’s right out of a sci-fi movie. The company has developed AI-powered glasses that law enforcement officials can use to identify criminals.
The glasses are fitted with cameras that can take photos of people around and run it past the criminal database. If it finds a match, it displays the information (name, criminal history etc.) through a projector fitted inside.
“These glasses are particularly useful at a rally or a VIP event. They are also a great asset to have as part of the prime minister’s, and chief ministers’ security,” Atul points out.
Staqu has done a pilot project for this with the Punjab Police and with the Dubai Police.
Predictive policing and proactive monitoring
Staqu has also started to work with some police forces in the area of predictive policing, where the AI-enabled system actively monitors CCTV feed and sends out real-time alerts in case something is amiss. For example, if too many people have gathered close to the prime minister’s residence at an odd time of the night, the system would send out an alert to the concerned authorities.
The company now also wants to branch out into proactive monitoring, wherein if a known highway robber is on spotted on a CCTV camera, an alert would go out immediately before the criminal gets a chance to commit another crime.
Not always the crime fighter
Staqu did not start its journey fighting crime. In fact, it was launched in 2015 as an AI startup focussed on data and ways to monetise it. When they started, the low-hanging fruit was image analysis for e-commerce companies. It was basically tech that would help a consumer click a picture of something they liked and using that picture, run a search for it on e-commerce platforms. The company still operates in this area, although the main focus has shifted to security. Clients in the e-commerce space currently include Paytm Mall and Jaypore.
How the app works with facial recognition
From there, Staqu went on to partner with Indian smartphone makers such as Karbonn, Intex, Gionee and Lava to integrate AI in their devices. This would ensure that users would only see relevant content and advertisements based on their interests and usage. Staqu also started partnering with browsers such as Microsoft Bing for the same purpose.
It was in 2017 when Atul and his co-founders realised that no other company was working with AI and law enforcement. Getting into the domain was initially an experiment, but once they saw good traction, they decided to dive right in. At present, 60 percent of the company’s business comes from security.
The private affair
The Gurugram-based startup, which says it achieved break-even in 2018, also caters to the private sector and has clients like L&T and Wipro as a part of its portfolio. Staqu is working with the two corporate giants on smart city projects to monitor things such as speeding vehicles, unlawful activities in public spaces, among other things.
It also works with the chemicals industry to ensure that safety and security is maintained on factory premises through active, AI-enabled visual monitoring. For example, if there are workers in an area they shouldn’t be in, or if there is an intruder in the building, or if workers are not wearing safety gear, the system alerts the authorities and security staff in real-time.
The early days and funds
Back in 2015, the founders started out with a capital of Rs 19 lakh from personal savings and money borrowed from family and friends. Atul reminisces of the early days, “The hardware was expensive, each GPU cost Rs 4 lakh. And we needed 4 GPUs, and the rent for the flat where we worked was around Rs 30,000 per month. So, for one year, we did not draw any salary. In 2016, we started drawing a salary of around Rs 5,000 per month.”
Then in June 2016, the company received its first round of funding, when Indian Angel Network (IAN) invested $500,000.
Currently, Staqu is in the process of raising its Series A funding from a prominent US-based venture capital firm. “We are also looking for Indian investors,” adds Atul.
The people behind Staqu
Atul and his three co-founders were all early members of a Delhi-based tech startup called Cube26, which Paytm’s parent company, One97 Communications, acquired last year. The four wanted to start their own AI company and left in 2015 to set up Staqu. Commenting on the name of the company, Atul says,
Two of his other co-founders, Chetan Rexwal (28) and Anurag Saini (28) are both engineering graduates from Indraprastha University, Delhi, while the fourth co-founder Pankaj Sharma (26) is a BTech graduate from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi.
The 35-member team of Staqu is a young one, with a median age of 26 years.
Competition and the road ahead
According to Atul, the company has no competition in India, as far as the security space is concerned. Globally, there is the Palantir Technologies in the US, which works in a similar space, as does Sensetime of China.
Staqu is currently exploring Western markets, as well as Eastern Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia, and believes it can make some inroads there. Explaining the move Atul says,
How this Gurugram startup is helping police, Indian army catch bad guys using AI
Staqu is using artificial intelligence to simplify the process of locating criminal suspects and correctly identifying them using a simple app. And then there are the spy glasses...
Ramarko Sengupta
30th Apr 2019
Violence cost India a staggering $1.19 trillion in 2017 in terms of constant purchasing power parity (PPP) according to a report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace last year. Purchasing power parity is a theory of measuring economic variables in different countries so that exchange rate variations do not distort comparisons. Expenses related to preventing, containing and dealing with the consequences of violence, along with, expenses on military and security were included in the cost.
That figure is equal to nine percent of India’s GDP (gross domestic product) for that year. Nine percent of GDP that the country lost to violence.
(L-R) Pankaj, Atul, Chetan, and Anurag.
To address the issue of violence and curb its impact on the country’s economy, Gurugram-based Staqu has been working with police forces from across the country to mitigate crime. The company has also been working with the Indian Army, a fact that it has revealed for the first time, exclusively to YourStory.
The company’s Co-founder and CEO, 29-year old Atul Rai is understandably reticent about the work they have been doing with the defence forces for the past one year.
“The only thing I can reveal is that the work we have been doing with the Indian Army is in the area of aerial imaging analysis and some other security aspects which are too sensitive to be revealed,” Rai told YourStory.
As far as working with the police is concerned, Staqu has so far teamed up with eight state police forces across the country, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana to check and solve crimes using artificial intelligence (AI). Once the ongoing general elections conclude, Staqu will add two more state police forces to its portfolio of customers. Overseas, Staqu has also worked with Dubai Police.So, how exactly is Staqu helping the police curb and solve crime?
Staqu realised that police forces in India “did not really have any tech on the ground” to help them curb or solve crimes. “And that’s when we realised that there is a use case for us,” says Atul.
In the safety and security space, Staqu offers three products: ABHED for fingerprint, facial and voice analysis, Jarvis for video analytics, and Pine for big data on criminals. These products can be accessed on multiple platforms, including a video wall panel, desktop, and mobile app.
To start with, criminal records data has never been digitized, so Staqu began its work there. Then it created an app called ABHED (Artificial Intelligence Based Human Efface Detection) for the Rajasthan Police in late 2017 to create a digital record of convicted criminals – a database that can be updated and is searchable.
For instance, if the police intercept or come across a suspect, they can take a picture of the person, and run it for matches on the criminal database through the app. Similarly, if a person is booked for a crime, their details can be added to the database via the app, on the spot.
Staqu then added another provision, to run fingerprints via the app to “eliminate the 1 percent chance of mistaken identity that may take place with visual identification”. To make the system watertight, Staqu also started to add voice samples of convicted criminals to the database.
“The thing with voice samples is that they also come in very handy in identifying ransom callers, who tend to be repeat offenders,” adds the tech entrepreneur, who hails from UP’s Azamgarh.
Staqu claims to be the only company in the world that has crossed 90 percent accuracy (94.3 percent, to be precise) in matching voice samples.To further boost visual identification, especially from CCTV footage which tends to be of poor quality, Staqu has also developed a low-resolution image search that will accurately help identify criminals.
Atul shares an instance where the police were looking for a robber in Ghaziabad. They used Staqu’s facial recognition software to match a sketch of the suspect through the database. As a result, they were able to catch the robber and recover Rs 2.5 lakh from him.
So far, the company has helped solve 1,100 criminal cases. Since inception, the platform has over 10 lakh criminal records, and is adding records of 1,000 criminals every day.
Straight out of a Hollywood thriller
The "spy" glasses developed by Staqu.
There’s one more nifty product from Staqu that seems like it’s right out of a sci-fi movie. The company has developed AI-powered glasses that law enforcement officials can use to identify criminals.
The glasses are fitted with cameras that can take photos of people around and run it past the criminal database. If it finds a match, it displays the information (name, criminal history etc.) through a projector fitted inside.
“These glasses are particularly useful at a rally or a VIP event. They are also a great asset to have as part of the prime minister’s, and chief ministers’ security,” Atul points out.
Staqu has done a pilot project for this with the Punjab Police and with the Dubai Police.
Predictive policing and proactive monitoring
Staqu has also started to work with some police forces in the area of predictive policing, where the AI-enabled system actively monitors CCTV feed and sends out real-time alerts in case something is amiss. For example, if too many people have gathered close to the prime minister’s residence at an odd time of the night, the system would send out an alert to the concerned authorities.
The company now also wants to branch out into proactive monitoring, wherein if a known highway robber is on spotted on a CCTV camera, an alert would go out immediately before the criminal gets a chance to commit another crime.
Not always the crime fighter
Staqu did not start its journey fighting crime. In fact, it was launched in 2015 as an AI startup focussed on data and ways to monetise it. When they started, the low-hanging fruit was image analysis for e-commerce companies. It was basically tech that would help a consumer click a picture of something they liked and using that picture, run a search for it on e-commerce platforms. The company still operates in this area, although the main focus has shifted to security. Clients in the e-commerce space currently include Paytm Mall and Jaypore.
How the app works with facial recognition
From there, Staqu went on to partner with Indian smartphone makers such as Karbonn, Intex, Gionee and Lava to integrate AI in their devices. This would ensure that users would only see relevant content and advertisements based on their interests and usage. Staqu also started partnering with browsers such as Microsoft Bing for the same purpose.
It was in 2017 when Atul and his co-founders realised that no other company was working with AI and law enforcement. Getting into the domain was initially an experiment, but once they saw good traction, they decided to dive right in. At present, 60 percent of the company’s business comes from security.
The private affair
The Gurugram-based startup, which says it achieved break-even in 2018, also caters to the private sector and has clients like L&T and Wipro as a part of its portfolio. Staqu is working with the two corporate giants on smart city projects to monitor things such as speeding vehicles, unlawful activities in public spaces, among other things.
It also works with the chemicals industry to ensure that safety and security is maintained on factory premises through active, AI-enabled visual monitoring. For example, if there are workers in an area they shouldn’t be in, or if there is an intruder in the building, or if workers are not wearing safety gear, the system alerts the authorities and security staff in real-time.
The early days and funds
Back in 2015, the founders started out with a capital of Rs 19 lakh from personal savings and money borrowed from family and friends. Atul reminisces of the early days, “The hardware was expensive, each GPU cost Rs 4 lakh. And we needed 4 GPUs, and the rent for the flat where we worked was around Rs 30,000 per month. So, for one year, we did not draw any salary. In 2016, we started drawing a salary of around Rs 5,000 per month.”
Then in June 2016, the company received its first round of funding, when Indian Angel Network (IAN) invested $500,000.
Currently, Staqu is in the process of raising its Series A funding from a prominent US-based venture capital firm. “We are also looking for Indian investors,” adds Atul.
The people behind Staqu
Atul and his three co-founders were all early members of a Delhi-based tech startup called Cube26, which Paytm’s parent company, One97 Communications, acquired last year. The four wanted to start their own AI company and left in 2015 to set up Staqu. Commenting on the name of the company, Atul says,
“Stack and queue are two data structures in computer science. We created a hybrid and named our startup Staqu.”
Atul holds a master’s degree in AI from Manchester in the UK, and worked there for some time before moving to the University of Szeged, Hungary, to work as a research associate in machine learning and computer vision. After the stint in Hungary, he moved back to India.Two of his other co-founders, Chetan Rexwal (28) and Anurag Saini (28) are both engineering graduates from Indraprastha University, Delhi, while the fourth co-founder Pankaj Sharma (26) is a BTech graduate from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi.
The 35-member team of Staqu is a young one, with a median age of 26 years.
Competition and the road ahead
According to Atul, the company has no competition in India, as far as the security space is concerned. Globally, there is the Palantir Technologies in the US, which works in a similar space, as does Sensetime of China.
Staqu is currently exploring Western markets, as well as Eastern Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia, and believes it can make some inroads there. Explaining the move Atul says,
“The tech is there, but at a high cost. We can help bring that down and are already in discussions with some companies there. We would not like to enter directly but through collaborations with local companies as they would be in a better position to deal with their authorities.”
When asked if other companies with similar expertise entering the security space in India is a worry for them, Atul says, “Our database is our advantage. Working with the police, we have picked up expertise and research, and have an early mover advantage. It’s not easy to just parachute into this space.”How this Gurugram startup is helping police, Indian army catch bad guys using AI
Centre for drone development soon at IIT Hyderabad
According to the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, the centre will be set up at IIT Hyderabad.
Published: 18th April 2019 04:26 PM | Last Updated: 18th April 2019 04:26 PM | A+A A-
IIT Hyderabad (File Photo | EPS)
By IANS
HYDERABAD: In a bid to speed up the development of drones in India, Japan-based Terra Drone Corporation, Terra Drone India and the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, on Thursday announced that they have signed a pact to establish a first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in India.
According to the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the centre will be set up at IIT Hyderabad.
"We are creating a unique educational ecosystem that combines interactive learning with cutting-edge research, strong industry collaboration and entrepreneurship," said Dr UB Desai, Director, IIT Hyderabad.
"We are excited about developing drone-based solutions for domains like 5G communication, agriculture, transportation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), said Desai.
With its presence in six continents and more than 20 countries, Terra Drone Corporation is one of the world's largest providers of industrial drone solutions.
The company is at the forefront of several innovations in the aviation industry, including promoting the application of AI technologies in drones and providing advisory services to the ongoing 'flying car' project in Japan.
"As the world's fastest-growing major economy, the potential for commercial drone market in India is huge," noted Toru Tokushige, CEO, Terra Drone Corporation.
Part of the Terra Drone Group, Terra Drone India offers a complete sales-service-support module for the drone ecosystem in India.
"The UAV ecosystem in India is rapidly evolving and drones are set to become an integral part of future working environments in several industries," said Prateek Srivastava, CEO, Terra Drone India.
Terra Drone will support IIT Hyderabad to organise workshops, seminars, lectures and joint projects that leverage cutting-edge unmanned technologies and drone LiDAR systems.
Terra Drone India would also offer internship programmes to talented students and prepare them for the real-world technology applications.
Centre for drone development soon at IIT Hyderabad
According to the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, the centre will be set up at IIT Hyderabad.
Published: 18th April 2019 04:26 PM | Last Updated: 18th April 2019 04:26 PM | A+A A-
IIT Hyderabad (File Photo | EPS)
By IANS
HYDERABAD: In a bid to speed up the development of drones in India, Japan-based Terra Drone Corporation, Terra Drone India and the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, on Thursday announced that they have signed a pact to establish a first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in India.
According to the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the centre will be set up at IIT Hyderabad.
"We are creating a unique educational ecosystem that combines interactive learning with cutting-edge research, strong industry collaboration and entrepreneurship," said Dr UB Desai, Director, IIT Hyderabad.
"We are excited about developing drone-based solutions for domains like 5G communication, agriculture, transportation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), said Desai.
With its presence in six continents and more than 20 countries, Terra Drone Corporation is one of the world's largest providers of industrial drone solutions.
The company is at the forefront of several innovations in the aviation industry, including promoting the application of AI technologies in drones and providing advisory services to the ongoing 'flying car' project in Japan.
"As the world's fastest-growing major economy, the potential for commercial drone market in India is huge," noted Toru Tokushige, CEO, Terra Drone Corporation.
Part of the Terra Drone Group, Terra Drone India offers a complete sales-service-support module for the drone ecosystem in India.
"The UAV ecosystem in India is rapidly evolving and drones are set to become an integral part of future working environments in several industries," said Prateek Srivastava, CEO, Terra Drone India.
Terra Drone will support IIT Hyderabad to organise workshops, seminars, lectures and joint projects that leverage cutting-edge unmanned technologies and drone LiDAR systems.
Terra Drone India would also offer internship programmes to talented students and prepare them for the real-world technology applications.
Centre for drone development soon at IIT Hyderabad
Didn't know L&T made triple tube torpedo launchers. I thought they only made twin-tube launchers for surface ships and underwater launchers for submarines.
The brochure says "1st Indian Naval Weapon System to be successfully exported". Exported to whom ? Myanmar ? Didn't they buy some Advanced Light Torpedo (TAL) Shyena from us ? Those things would need launchers, I suppose.