Addverb: How Four Engineers Built India's Global Robotics Powerhouse
When Satish Shukla and his colleagues Sangeet Kumar, Pratik Jain, and Bir Singh were working at Asian Paints, they were managing some of the most automated factories in the world. But they noticed a troubling trend: almost all the robotics and automation technology was being imported from outside India. In June 2016, they decided to change that. Today, as the Co-founder of Addverb, Shukla leads a company that has secured a massive $132 million investment from Reliance and is recognized as having one of the most extensive robotics product portfolios globally.
Addverb's journey is a masterclass in leveraging industry insight. Born during a period of massive economic shifts—the implementation of GST, the explosion of e-commerce, and the "Make in India" push—the team identified a critical need for local warehouse and factory automation. From a small 400-square-foot office in Noida to operating "Bot-Verse," the world's largest mobile robot manufacturing facility, Addverb is proving that Indian engineering can not only compete but lead on the global stage.
The Inception: Bot Valley & Bot-Verse
Addverb operates two world-class manufacturing facilities in Noida:
- Bot Valley: The R&D hub and experience center where robots are brought to life. It acts as a "Show and Tell" for customers to experience automation firsthand.
- Bot-Verse: Inaugurated in 2023, this is one of the world's largest mobile robot manufacturing plants, capable of producing 60,000 robots annually and providing employment to 3,000 skilled youth.
From Asian Paints to the "Bandwagon" of Robotics
Satish Shukla's path to robotics wasn't linear. Born in the small industrial township of Nagda, Madhya Pradesh, he describes himself as a "non-practicing software engineer" who followed the bandwagon of science and engineering before finding his true calling in HR and supply chain. At Asian Paints, he took a rare jump from HR into line operations, gaining hands-on experience in Material Handling automation.
"We were users of automation first," Shukla reflects. "We knew what worked, what didn't, and what the pain points were." When they launched Addverb, they spent the first six months doing high-level consulting for e-commerce and retail giants. This "consulting first" approach allowed them to map out a 25-year product roadmap before they ever manufactured their first machine.
"Automation and Robotics is a game of hardware and software. It's not just about mechanical hardware; it's about the software brain that controls it. We identificed the pillars of AI, Deep Learning, and Hardware early on to lead the adoption."
The Comprehensive Portfolio: Fixed vs. Flexible Automation
One of Addverb's biggest competitive moats is the breadth of its portfolio. Shukla proudly states that there is no company in the world that has the entire range of products that Addverb offers today. They classify their solutions into two distinct categories:
1. Fixed Automation (The Infrastructure)
- ASRS (Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems): Utilizing the vertical "unutilized space" of a warehouse with cranes and shuttles that go up to 40 meters high.
- Carton Shuttle Systems: Perfect for fashion and e-commerce, where robots retrieve individual crates for human picking, drastically increasing throughput.
- Cruiser: A pallet shuttle system widely used in the beverage industry for high-density storage.
2. Flexible Automation (The Mobile Workforce)
- AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robots): Lidar-enabled robots that navigate naturally to move payloads up to 1.5 tons across a factory floor.
- Sorting Robots: Floor-mounted or tabletop bots that automatically sort thousands of items for dispatch based on destination logic.
The "Reliance" Relationship: When a Client Becomes an Investor
In 2018, Addverb started working with Reliance to automate the warehouses for their JioMart business. This wasn't just a vendor-client relationship; it was a strategic alignment. Reliance recognized the potential of Addverb's technology to serve their massive interests in petrochemicals, retail, new energy, and grocery.
This led to a landmark $132 million Series B funding from Reliance. "The call to get Reliance on board was mutually beneficial," says Shukla. "It gave us an opportunity to create unique innovative solutions for them with a captive demand, while they gained world-class automation." In addition to Reliance, the company is also backed by Jalaj Dani (Promoter of Asian Paints), who continues to serve as Addverb's Chairman and mentor.
Addverb: Scale and Impact (Jan 2026)
- Global Presence: Offices in Australia, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US (including a US R&D center).
- Workforce: 750+ professionals, with 25% dedicated solely to R&D.
- Client Base: 300+ Marquee clients including Amazon, Unilever, DHL, Maersk, and ITC.
- Manufacturing Capacity: 60,000+ robots per year from Bot-Verse.
Empowering Women in Stem and Manufacturing
Addverb is also a pioneer in social engineering. Shukla is passionate about bringing more women into manufacturing and stem fields. They have hired scores of women engineers and technicians, drawing inspiration from pioneers like Muthayya Vanitha (Project Director of Chandrayaan-2).
The company culture is deeply rooted in Indian Engineering Excellence. Their offices feature meeting rooms named after legends like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Vikram Sarabhai. "We want our people to be inspired by those who helped build India," Shukla says. "We are building automation for the world, from India."
Founder's Wisdom: The Pillars of Growth
Trust the Team: "You need a team that will take a fall for you and go out on a limb for you. Capability is secondary to trust."
Courage to Fail: "You will face more lows than highs. The ability to bounce back is what creates an organization."
Stay Positive (The Columbus Rule): "You are the captain of the ship. If you are positive, the team will search for answers instead of starting a mutiny."
The Future: Improvisation and Learning
Reflecting on their journey, Shukla notes that every day is a learning experience. The COVID-19 pandemic was their greatest test—closing big orders virtually without being able to meet customers or show them the facility. They relied on innovation and improvisation to win trust during the lockdown.
For Satish Shukla, the story of Addverb is just beginning. As they expand their global footprint and continue to invest heavily in R&D, they remain focused on the "Christopher Columbus" mindset—navigating the unknown with positivity and the right team by their side. In the world of robotics, Addverb is no longer just following the bandwagon—they are the ones leading it.
About the Guest
Satish Shukla is the Co-founder of Addverb. An alumnus of TISS Mumbai and a software engineer by education, Satish spent over five years at Asian Paints in senior HR and supply chain roles before co-founding Addverb in 2016. He is a recognized leader in the robotics and automation space, passionate about technical innovation, social impact through women's empowerment in STEM, and building world-class manufacturing capabilities in India. He has been instrumental in Addverb's rapid global expansion and its strategic partnership with Reliance Industries.
Addverb is a leading global robotics company that provides end-to-end warehouse and industrial automation solutions. By combining state-of-the-art hardware with proprietary AI and software, Addverb helps enterprises across e-commerce, retail, FMCG, and petrochemicals optimize their material handling and storage operations. With its "Bot Valley" and "Bot-Verse" facilities, Addverb is one of the world's largest manufacturers of autonomous mobile robots and automated storage systems.