How Alphadroid Is Reinventing The Indian Hospitality Space With Its Autonomous Robot

From Bengaluru’s first robot-enabled restaurant grabbing headlines in 2019 to the recent videos of a robot serving ‘ice golas’ (flavoured balls of ice) in the streets of Ahmedabad going viral on social media, Indians are slowly getting used to the fact that robots have started replacing humans.

Though the pace of adoption and deployment of robots in consumer-centric sectors is still slow in the country, the Indian hospitality industry today seems ready to level up its game in embracing automation, even for serving guests. 

Amid this, Noida-based Alphadroid aims to stir up a storm in the hospitality sector with AI-powered robots.

Founded in 2023 by Sanjeev Kumar and incubated at IIIT Lucknow, Alphadroid provides service robots for all categories of restaurants with a flexible payment model. It aims to revolutionise consumer experiences through the power of automation and robotics in the country’s $247.31 Bn hospitality sector.

With a steady pipeline of upcoming pilots and products in place, Alphadroid is all set to seize the opportunities of the global service robotics market, which is projected to become a $62.35 Bn opportunity by 2030.

Behind The Genesis Of Alphadroid

Speaking with Inc42, Alphadroid’s Kumar said he started working around the idea of service robots after seeing a robotic arm prepare a cup of coffee in Malaysia almost four years ago. 

Kumar said the tech miracle inspired him to build his first service robot in January 2024 after three years of R&D.

Alphadroid and its offerings aim to empower and equip the smarter new generations with advanced smart machines, aka the droids. The startup’s first robot, Alpha, was initially deployed at Maricham Kabab Estate in Noida.  

The first droid was fully capable of catering to the daily needs of the hospitality industry, including serving food at restaurants.

Kumar claims that Alphadroid’s service robots are the first autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) with intelligence and self-learning capabilities to have been deployed in India. He added that most other robots in this sector in the country today are automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which require human intervention.

The startup is currently leveraging GenAI capabilities for speech and image recognition. Kumar said that evolving from just doing smart deliveries, its existing robots will soon have speech recognition capability, computer vision, and the ability to receive payments.

Moving on, Alphadroid currently serves clients such as DLF, Ramees, and Radisson. Expanding its footprint in the South Indian region, the startup recently announced a partnership with Radisson Hotel, Bengaluru City Centre. The startup will provide its droids (the Alphas) to enhance guest experiences and drive the hotel’s operational efficiency.

Currently, Alphadroid’s robots can efficiently serve at restaurants, lobby areas, and events and conferences.

Alphadroid is a bootstrapped startup. So far, INR 5 Cr has been infused in building the robots. 

What’s The Revenue Source?

The startup has two primary revenue streams — subscriptions and outright purchases. Alphadroid predominantly offers its products through subscription models, providing customers with options for one-month or 12-month terms.

On average, Alphadroid’s robots incur a daily cost of INR 1,799.

Concurrently, the startup has priced its Alpha robots at INR 7.5 Lakh for a single purchase. This package includes a complimentary one-year hardware warranty, with the option to extend the warranty for an additional two years at an annual maintenance fee.

Further, Alphadroid has deployed seven robots in the market, with several other projects and partnerships in progress.

The startup has established a revenue target of INR 3.95 Cr for FY25.

The Road Ahead

In addition to upgrading the tech of its existing robot, Alphadroid is developing a second product for the healthcare sector.

Kumar announced that the upcoming product, targeting hospitals and healthcare facilities, is slated for launch within the next four months. The product will aim at streamlining front-office operations in hospitals.

Moreover, Alphadroid is venturing into the public sector, starting with the railways.

“We recently conducted a joint trial on the Tejas Express route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Currently, we are collaborating closely with IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) for a three-month active pilot before further deployments,” Kumar said.

While the Indian market remains the primary focus, Alphadroid plans to introduce its products to the UK market in the coming months. In India alone, the startup aims to deploy a total of 150 robots by the end of 2024.

Besides, the startup has developed a solution, 3D avatar, which is an easy conversational tool designed for end users in hospitals (for instance, enabling patient registration), cafes and restaurants (helping with enquiries related to food and reservations), hotels, and corporate offices. Alphadroid has piloted this offering but hasn’t yet deployed the solution at any customer site.

“While we have an autonomous robot on one side, we have also developed a conversational virtual reality — 3D avatar. Eventually, we will integrate these technologies, enabling robots to possess conversational virtual intelligence, solving problems interactively through autonomous capabilities,” Kumar told Inc42.

Meanwhile, Alphadroid is also in talks with multiple VC firms and angel investors to raise $4.5 Mn-$5 Mn. While the startup has yet to decide on a timeline for the same, it will be interesting to track Alphadroid’s growth path in the times to come.