THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kochi-based startup Sastra Robotics India Pvt Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global defence, aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, paving the way for the robots produced by the Indian venture to gain entry into avionics testing.
Successful qualification would enable Sastra Robotics to be a supplier to other Tier-1 OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in the future. Mentored by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), the company focuses on manufacturing intelligent robotic platforms for the automation of industrial product testing. The new deal will see products for testing of avionics display of tactical fighter platforms, including the F-21.
Meanwhile, the US firm also signed MoUs with Chennai-based startup Terero Mobility and Bengaluru-based startup NoPo Nanotechnologies.
Commenting on the pact, Vivek Lall, Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said: “The agreements attest to the commitment of Lockheed Martin to cultivate and integrate indigenous content into global systems and platforms. Through the agreement, we look to provide engineering support, mentoring, and assistance in the qualification of some of the technologies proposed, all of which contribute to our mission of making in India.”
“Kerala has a pool of scale-up startups and we find startups getting recognised by the industries on the quality of their products. Initiatives like the India Innovation Growth Programme help startups get connected with industries and we really look forward for more industries to be part of the state’s startup ecosystem,” said Ashok Kurian Panjikaran, Manager, Business Development, KSUM.