Sona Comstar Pushes Advanced Manufacturing and Physical AI Agenda at IIT Delhi

New Delhi, September 16, 2026: Mobility technology company Sona Comstar has highlighted advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and physical AI as key technologies likely to shape the next phase of India’s manufacturing and mobility ecosystem.

Speaking at FITT FORWARD 2026, the flagship event of the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi, Priya Kapur, Director and CSR Chairperson at Sona Comstar, called for stronger collaboration between industry and academia to develop future-ready talent and accelerate the transition of research from laboratories to commercially deployable technologies.

Kapur participated in a panel discussion titled “Manufacturing Tech & Semiconductors: Can India Build What the World Needs Next?”, which focused on India’s potential to develop globally competitive technologies, strengthen domestic capabilities and establish a stronger position in advanced manufacturing.

Industry-Academia Collaboration Key to Deep-Tech Growth

Kapur said India’s talent and research capabilities need to be more closely connected with real-world engineering and manufacturing challenges.

According to her, industry can contribute practical engineering problems, manufacturing insights and commercial use cases, while institutions such as IIT Delhi can provide deep-technology research capabilities, specialised laboratories and multidisciplinary expertise.

“Sona Comstar’s technology focus spans advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, physical AI and the broader future of mobility. Strong industry-academia partnerships can connect India’s talent and research capabilities with real-world engineering challenges, enabling us to develop solutions that are relevant, scalable and globally competitive,” Kapur said.

She also emphasised that the next phase of India’s manufacturing growth will require more than expanding production capacity. Greater technological capabilities, indigenous intellectual property and mechanisms for taking innovation from laboratories to factory floors will also be important.

Sona Comstar Strengthens R&D Focus

Sona Comstar has more than 490 R&D professionals, including 110 software engineers, and invests an average of approximately 3% of its revenue in research and development.

The company’s technology priorities span advanced manufacturing, AI, robotics, physical AI and technologies supporting the future of mobility.

The emphasis comes as Indian manufacturers increasingly explore automation, intelligent systems, advanced materials and software-led engineering to improve competitiveness and develop next-generation products.

Samridh Bharat Programme Supports Technology Innovation

Beyond its internal R&D initiatives, Sona Comstar is supporting technology-led entrepreneurship and research through its Samridh Bharat CSR Programme.

Under the programme, the company works with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer at IIT Delhi and IIMA Ventures, IIM Ahmedabad’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, to support innovation-driven start-ups and research projects.

These initiatives include mobility solutions aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels as well as technologies designed to address environmental challenges such as air pollution and stubble burning.

Deep-Tech Start-ups Move Towards Market Readiness

A key part of the initiative is the Innovation in Mobility Programme, implemented in partnership with FITT at IIT Delhi.

Launched in 2020, the programme supports deep-tech start-ups working in areas including electric mobility, batteries, motors, hydrogen, energy storage, advanced materials and clean manufacturing.

The programme has expanded from early-stage R&D support into a broader ecosystem-building platform offering grants, technical incubation, market linkages and access to IIT Delhi’s research infrastructure.

Start-ups supported through the initiative have progressed from prototype development towards market readiness. Technologies being developed include AI-enabled battery systems, sodium-ion batteries, rare-earth-free motors, hydrogen technologies and mobile EV charging solutions.

Building an Innovation Ecosystem for Indian Manufacturing

Kapur also highlighted the importance of creating a sustainable innovation ecosystem through industry-led research programmes, shared testing infrastructure and greater access to specialised laboratories.

Such collaboration could shorten technology validation cycles and support faster adoption of emerging technologies across India’s manufacturing and mobility sectors.

The discussion at FITT FORWARD 2026 reflects a broader focus on strengthening connections between academic research, deep-tech entrepreneurship and industrial deployment as India looks to expand its capabilities in advanced manufacturing.

For companies such as Sona Comstar, the convergence of AI, robotics, physical AI, advanced manufacturing and mobility technologies is emerging as an important area of technology development, with industry-academia partnerships providing a pathway to translate research into scalable applications.