The American EV maker Tesla Inc. is known for its self-driving technology it offers in its cars. So far, not many automakers have been able to do this. But just a few weeks ago, we shared a video on social media featuring a modified Bolero SUV with self-driving capabilities. Well, in a recent interview, the founder of Swaayatt Robots, Sanjeev Sharma, the company behind this driverless Bolero, has given a bold statement. Sharma has claimed that his startup has developed technology capable of navigating Indian streets. He also added that his company is a competitor to Elon Musk’s Tesla.
In an interview with News18, Sanjeev Sharma has stated that his company will be able to achieve full autonomy. He added that his company, which he sees as a rival to Tesla, can become huge. He added that with adequate funding and resources.
Sanjeev Sharma stated, “What we are demonstrating is a tech ready to navigate the traffic of India with utmost accuracy. We are already a competitor of Tesla. Give us some more funding and resources, and we can literally solve the automation problem by the end of the year.”
Sanjeev Sharma’s background
Sanjeev Sharma, who has been praised by Anand Mahindra for creating a driverless Bolero, has a very rich background in technology. His journey dates back to his days at IIT Roorkee. While studying there, he was inspired by videos from MIT’s DARPA Urban Challenge. He then developed an interest in autonomous driving technology.
Following this, he took on the role of research assistant professor position in Israel and Canada. Following this, under the mentorship of Professor Richard S. Sutton, known for his contributions to reinforcement learning. In 2015, he founded Swaayatt Robots, initially funding the venture with his own investment.
Swaayatt Robots
For those who may not be aware, Swaayatt Robots from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, focuses on artificial intelligence, mathematics, and theoretical computer science. They have successfully integrated autonomous technology into the Mahindra Bolero SUV. The video of this SUV driving through a village road was shared by Anand Mahindra.
Sharma in his recent interview asserted that Swaayatt Robots excels in both on-road and off-road driving scenarios. He stated that it includes navigation, obstacle avoidance, and dealing with high-speed traffic and wildlife encounters.
The founder of the company also claimed that they have been able to achieve these feats with only $3 million funding. They received it back in 2021. Since then, the company has been able to perform 80 on-road and off-road autonomous driving demonstrations.
Sharma has now stated that, “At present, additional funding is the key barrier to scaling up our technology. With an investment of around $15 million, we will be able to expand our presence and accelerate the development of our autonomous navigation solutions.”
Anand Mahindra’s reaction
As stated above, Anand Mahindra reshared the video of Swaayatt Robots Mahindra Bolero with the autonomous driving system. On his X post, he stated, “Evidence of tech innovation rising across India. An engineer who’s not building yet another delivery app. @sanjeevs_iitr is using complex math to target level 5 autonomy. I’m cheering loudly.”