The Technology Advisory Group (TAG) of the Empowered Technology Group (ETG) met in February 2026 under the chairmanship of Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. The Office of the PSA hosted the third TAG meeting to assess the domestic robotics ecosystem and to outline a strategic roadmap for robotics and physical artificial intelligence (AI). Delegates included government officials, academics, companies and startups.

In welcome remarks a senior adviser recalled the second TAG meeting on advanced manufacturing in February 2025 and emphasised the need to focus on advanced robotic technologies. The PSA described a vision for indigenisation and for robots that augment rather than replace human labour. Sectoral priorities identified included collaborative robots and physical AI for healthcare.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) outlined a draft National Strategy on Robotics created through inter ministerial consultation and noted that existing initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission and the India Semiconductor Mission can support a future dedicated Robotics Mission. The Chair of the Defence Research and Development Organisation stressed the need for software sovereignty and indigenisation of design tools.

Presentations from research parks and academic centres outlined efforts to translate laboratory work into market ready products, to bridge academic research with industrial cobotics and strengthen skilling. Speakers highlighted tactile perception and haptics as essential for embodied intelligence and discussed indigenous humanoid and quadruped platforms as well as large scale deployment of physical AI in warehousing and retail automation. Recommendations included product linked incentives, data platforms and grand challenges.

Deliberations identified gaps in hardware, components, testing and certification and called for a coherent policy and incentive framework to strengthen domestic manufacturing and calibrated public procurement. Stakeholders urged a federated national data infrastructure, mission oriented research and development across mechanics, materials, haptics and instrumentation, and a Product Development and Partnership model to reduce fragmentation. The meeting concluded with calls for unified regulatory frameworks, accredited testing laboratories and mission linked grants to support startups and smaller firms in a national robotics roadmap.