Kerala-Based iHUB Robotics Launches Humanoid Daksha Gen 2 at AI Summit
Kerala-Based iHUB Robotics Launches Humanoid Daksha Gen 2 at AI Summit
Kerala-based iHUB Robotics made waves at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 by launching Daksha Gen 2, a next-generation humanoid robot designed for real-world industrial and harsh environment applications. The unveiling positions India as a serious contender in the global race for autonomous “physical AI” systems.
Company Background
iHUB Robotics, headquartered in Kerala, specializes in humanoid and autonomous robots targeting industrial automation, defense, logistics, and disaster response. The deep-tech startup has secured pre-seed funding of approximately USD 520K to establish India’s largest humanoid robotics manufacturing facility in Kerala, emphasizing end-to-end “Make in India” hardware and AI integration.
Prior to Daksha Gen 2, iHUB launched the UGV RHiNO defense robot and TARA Gen-1 semi-humanoid, with the latter unveiled in the presence of Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The company maintains strong ties with NASSCOM, Kerala Startup Mission, and MeitY.
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Launch at India AI Impact Summit 2026
Daksha Gen 2 (also called Daksha Gen-2 Pro) was officially unveiled on February 17, 2026 at the India AI Impact Summit expo in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam. Media highlighted it as a key moment alongside other factory humanoids and “physical AI” demonstrations that drew massive crowds to the robotics pavilion.
iHUB Co-founder Athil Krishna called it a “proud moment for Indian robotics,” showcasing Daksha alongside their Scout robot designed for extreme environments. Unlike lab prototypes, iHUB positioned Daksha for immediate industrial deployment in factories, mines, oil fields, and disaster zones.
Key Features and Capabilities
Powered by cutting-edge Vision-Language-Action (VLA) AI models, Daksha Gen 2 achieves true end-to-end autonomy: perceiving complex environments, reasoning through language models, and executing precise physical tasks without constant human intervention.
Core Technical Abilities
- Object Recognition & Manipulation: Real-time identification, path planning, and precise placement using innovative three-finger hands that handle varied object sizes and shapes
- Autonomous Navigation: Generates dynamic roadmaps, adapts to environmental changes, and executes complex movements in unstructured settings
- Advanced AI Integration: Fast, efficient sensor fusion and onboard compute enabling human-like interaction and decision-making
- Production-Ready Design: Built for 24/7 industrial operation across harsh environments
Daksha builds on iHUB’s earlier TARA Gen-1 (163 cm height, emotion recognition, Llama 3-powered multi-language speech for hospitality/healthcare) but shifts focus to rugged industrial “physical AI” rather than consumer/service applications.
What Sets Daksha Apart: Unlike research demos, Daksha Gen 2 targets production-scale deployment in factories, defense operations, mining sites, and disaster response — environments where robots must operate autonomously for extended periods without human babysitting.
Read more : How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming India 2026
Strategic Significance
The launch underscores Kerala’s emergence as India’s robotics innovation hub and aligns perfectly with national priorities for sovereign AI hardware. Coming amid the summit’s announcements of 20,000 new GPUs for AI compute scaling, Daksha represents concrete progress toward India’s “physical AI” ambitions.
Notably, iHUB’s transparent approach — emphasizing indigenous design from R&D to manufacturing — stands in stark contrast to import rebranding controversies at the same event, building genuine credibility for India’s robotics ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is Daksha Gen 2?
Daksha Gen 2 is iHUB Robotics’ next-generation humanoid robot powered by Vision-Language-Action (VLA) AI. It perceives environments, reasons via advanced language models, and executes complex physical tasks autonomously — designed specifically for industrial factories, mines, defense operations, and disaster response scenarios.
Where and when was it launched?
February 17, 2026 at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. regional media covered the unveiling, which drew significant crowds to iHUB’s pavilion.
How does Daksha differ from iHUB’s previous robots?
Compared to TARA Gen-1 (service-oriented with emotion recognition and multi-language chat), Daksha Gen 2 prioritizes industrial ruggedness with three-finger precision grippers, end-to-end autonomy for unstructured tasks, and 24/7 operation capability. It builds on iHUB’s UGV experience like the RHiNO defense robot.
What are Daksha’s main applications?
Industrial automation, logistics, defense, mining/oil fields, disaster response. Daksha navigates dynamic environments, manipulates varied objects autonomously, and operates in harsh conditions where traditional automation fails.
Is Daksha built entirely in India?
Yes. iHUB is establishing India’s largest humanoid manufacturing facility in Kerala with “Make in India” focus from design to production. Backed by Kerala Startup Mission, NASSCOM, and MeitY ecosystem partners.
How does this fit India’s robotics strategy?
Daksha counters import controversies by showcasing genuine indigenous humanoid technology, aligning with government roadmaps for physical AI indigenization, compute scaling, and scaling robotics infrastructure across priority sectors.
