The results from the first year have reinforced the utility of automation in public infrastructure: cleaner cities, safer workers, and lower human health risks

Chennai’s sanitation system has taken a decisive leap into the future. A year after the deployment of Bandicoot Mobility+ robots, the city has not only reduced its dependence on manual scavenging but also set a benchmark for tech-enabled urban infrastructure

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) marked one year of operations with Bandicoot Mobility a robotic sanitation system developed by Kerala-based deep-tech startup Genrobotics. Since April 2024, these vehicle-mounted robots have cleaned over 5,000 manholes and stormwater drains across the city, eliminating the need for humans to enter sewers and enabling contactless waste removal.

Bandicoot’s precision cleaning capability – reaching depths beyond 10 metres – and features like real-time camera monitoring, gas detection, and inbuilt waste collection units have significantly raised safety standards. The robots operate efficiently even in Chennai’s congested urban spaces, thanks to a vehicle-integrated mobility system.

Encouraged by Chennai’s model, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has announced plans to adopt the same robotic solution. This signals a broader shift among Indian cities towards safe, technology-first sanitation practices.

“What Chennai has achieved is not just about using robots to clean manholes—it’s about bringing dignity, safety, and innovation into sanitation,” said Rashid K, Co-founder of Genrobotics. “Bandicoot, the world’s first robotic scavenger, was fully developed in-house in India—built from scratch to solve the real issue of manual scavenging.”

Founded in 2012, Genrobotics has focused on solving social issues through indigenous deep tech. Bandicoot earned recognition from the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) as one of India’s top three AI startups, and the Mobility+ variant further enhances the system with vehicle portability and automation.

“India has immense talent – from IITs to passionate innovators across the country. In a developing nation like ours, countless social issues still need real solutions,” Rashid said. “True innovators should focus on addressing these challenges to help India thrive as a deep tech ecosystem, rather than imitating what already exists for short-term gain.”

With monsoon preparations underway, CMWSSB is now scaling up robotic operations across more city zones. The results from the first year have reinforced the utility of automation in public infrastructure – cleaner cities, safer workers, and lower human health risks.