How Saurabh Chandra is building a global robotics business

After his outsourced product development company Neev Technologies was acquired by Publicis Groupe in 2013,

Saurabh Chandra

continued at Publicis for three more years. During those years, he was drawn to the idea of autonomous vehicles, but believing that that technology was a little far out, he decided to look at the then fast-growing

factory automation

business.“After years in software, I wanted to dive deeper into hardware and how it integrates with software,” says Saurabh.That’s how, in 2017,

Ati Motors

happened, a venture that builds

autonomous mobile robots

(AMRs) using a fully in-house platform. While it started domestically with strong adoption in India’s manufacturing hubs, Ati now has over 50 customers, and its products are used in 70 factories worldwide. Its international business recently surpassed domestic revenue, and the team has grown to around 200 people, with offices in Bengaluru, Detroit, Mexico, Thailand, Pune, and Chennai.Saurabh says his first international customer was Forvia, a French automotive supplier, which Ati came across at a trade show in Detroit, US. Today, among Ati’s customers are Bosch, Harley Davidson, Siemens and Daimler.

Saurabh says they have designed and developed everything from navigation software and algorithms to the vehicles and sensors. This full-stack approach means its robots are easy to integrate, quick to customise, and ready to scale. The robots continuously solve three core questions: “Where am I?” (localisation), “What’s around me?” (perception), and “What’s my next move?” (navigation and safety).Ati’s initial focus was material movement in factories, using autonomous tugging robots. Unlike many warehouse robots that are confined indoors or rely heavily on markers and segregated spaces, Ati’s machines navigate complex factory floors, outdoor terrains, and even rainy conditions. “Our robots work alongside humans as if there’s nothing special going on,” Saurabh says.Recently, Ati launched what may be one of the world’s most compact 5-tonne tuggers. It has also unveiled what it calls Sherpa Mecha, a humanoid-like robot designed specifically for factory floors – not bipedal but with a stable mobile base for better balance and long battery life of 10-12 hours. This robot can perform tasks such as part handling, visual inspection, and machine tending. It has the ability to adapt, switch tools, and work alongside other robots. Sherpa Mecha can move between workstations, lifting, scanning, and delivering materials. It can handle bins, inspect parts, assist other machines, manage trolleys. Production is slated for 2026.