Artificial intelligence is changing the way industries operate, but most innovations still focus on office workers and digital workflows. Millions of frontline workers in manufacturing, construction, mining, and logistics continue to work in environments where traditional devices are difficult to use. As industries become more connected, there is a growing need for technology built specifically for these workers.
In this episode of the Analytics Insight Podcast, Pulkit Ahuja, Founder and CEO of Proxgy, shares how the company is developing connected wearables and industrial hardware to improve worker safety and productivity. He also discusses India's deep tech ecosystem, the importance of IP-led innovation, and what it takes to build globally scalable hardware products.
Ans: The name Proxgy comes from two words. Proxy, as in a human proxy, and technology. Both of them combined give you Proxgy. The vision when we were starting Proxgy back in 2020, during the first COVID lockdown, was to connect a billion-plus people who are not working at a desk.
I have written a couple of books, including a national bestseller called Google to Buy God. I also happen to be a product guy myself, with over 25 inventions to my name, including the world's first drone-assisted driving technology, which BYD recently launched in one of their cars, and an earthquake-protection bed. So, that's my background.
Ans: I believe for any startup that is serving blue-collar workers in a long-term manner, and it has to be long-term actually because, like you rightly said, it's no longer just a software or an AI play. You need a physical node or a physical touchpoint, like I was mentioning to you before, that it is practically not possible to use existing mass-available products like laptops and mobile phones in these working conditions and working environments. So any startup that wants to cater to this market will have to innovate and create something that serves as a touchpoint or link to the back-end layer of software and AI.
That is where we at Proxgy have invented over six very, very niche and innovative products, including the world's first smart safety helmet for users and workers in manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, and mining. The emphasis behind any of these inventions has to be a very, very low resistance to change and a very, or I would say zero, user behavior change for that matter.
Ans: To start with safety, as you said, for safety, whatever traditional methods were available, and the reactive and the proactive approaches, and the vast difference between them, have only been possible because of this evolution that has happened gradually, but now is picking up steam across multiple sectors, across multiple countries.
I believe India would be at the forefront because of our innovation and our workforce, wherein we have the most humongous test cases, which would, once deployed in Indian conditions, definitely be replicable across the globe at a much-optimized cost of deployment, and that we are already seeing at Proxgy.
Ans: We are very close to the ground on what is happening. There's definitely a lot of government support and incentives for Make in India, and we are using a proxy to make products in India that are globally scalable. However, the ecosystem needed for the development and deployment of these products requires substantial patient capital. So, that is something that India is now maturing towards.
India usually follows the US market, and right now, if we look at the highest-funded companies, most are not deep tech or hardware companies in India. The reason is that hardware, product development, or innovation takes time. It's highly risky.
Ans: You'll have to lead with IP-led innovation; I believe it will be defining the long-term competitiveness and success of a startup. The founders should not be chasing trends but actually creating long-term value, and that kind of value creation takes time, takes patience, takes a lot of execution. If executed correctly, that would lead to scalability, reliability, and then eventually commercial viability.
So, that's my thought process behind how we can build this up. Then, also for anyone who wants to scale this- scale up a deep tech or a new category creation, or a new concept- you'll have to integrate very smoothly. You'll have to ensure your product integrates seamlessly into the existing workflows.
To know more, listen to the full podcast.