BBBS receives $5 million grant for developing and commercializing sturdy autonomous drones, designed for operation in perilous industrial settings, in collaboration with Israel's Foresight.
Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS), one of India's leading DeepTech startups, has partnered with Israel-based Foresight Autonomous Holdings to develop rugged autonomous drones for hazardous, GPS-denied industrial environments. The India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F) has approved a $5 million joint project, starting September 2025.
The project, spanning 24 months from September 2025 to September 2027, aims to develop and commercialize these next-generation drones. The funding will be split equally between I4F and the joint partners, BBBS and Foresight, with each contributing approximately $2.5 million.
The drones will be equipped with autonomous UAV platforms, leveraging BBBS’s expertise, and advanced 3D perception and multi-spectral vision systems from Foresight. They will be designed to operate in GPS-denied, cluttered, and hazardous industrial sites, primarily targeting industries such as oil and gas, mining, chemical processing, power generation, and critical infrastructure facilities where human inspections are risky.
The expected outcomes of this project include drones capable of autonomous navigation without GPS or human pilots, enhanced safety by reducing human presence in dangerous areas, improved operational efficiency and cost reduction through automated inspections, and real-time data collection using visible-light and thermal sensors. The global industrial drone inspection market is projected to reach $21.3 billion by 2027, with BBBS forecasting potential revenues of up to $32 million by 2031 from this technology.
Praveen Dwarakanath, Director & CEO of BBBS, emphasized that the partnership is about redefining what's possible in industrial inspection. Dr. Shivaraman Ramaswamy, Director & CTO of BBBS, stated that the collaboration is a leap forward for autonomous industrial inspection. Foresight's team of highly specialized engineers in Israel has deep expertise in embedded vision systems, computer vision, and machine learning.
BBBS, known for its innovation, has been recognized by multiple government and defence bodies, including being selected for prestigious programs under iDEX, DRDO, and Make in India. Foresight's technologies have been proven in the automotive ADAS and autonomous vehicle sectors.
BBBS blends scientific research, advanced engineering, and user-centric design to create cutting-edge solutions across various domains. The company's headquarters is in Chennai, India, and it continues to expand its technological footprint globally. Foresight's R&D facilities include advanced testing labs, autonomous vehicle testbeds, and simulation environments.
This project represents a strategic bilateral cooperation for industrial technological innovation under the I4F, which supports cutting-edge research and commercialization in sectors including industrial technologies. The jointly developed system will address limitations of traditional GPS-dependent drones in industrial spaces with AI-based navigation algorithms, sensor fusion, and ruggedized hardware.
BBBS and Foresight have received approval for this $5 million joint research, development, and commercialization project. The project will undoubtedly contribute to improving safety, reducing operational costs, and enhancing efficiency in various industries.
Technology plays a pivotal role in this partnership between Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS) and Foresight Autonomous Holdings, as they develop rugged autonomous drones for industrial environments. The India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F) has approved a $5 million joint project, starting September 2025.
The project aims to create and market next-generation drones, with the funding being divided equally between I4F and the partners, BBBS and Foresight. These drones will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, such as autonomous UAV platforms from BBBS and advanced 3D perception and multi-spectral vision systems from Foresight.
The drones are designed for hazardous industrial sites, primarily targeting industries like oil and gas, mining, chemical processing, power generation, and critical infrastructure facilities. The expected outcomes include autonomous navigation, enhanced safety, improved operational efficiency, cost reduction, and real-time data collection.
BBBS and Foresight's collaborative effort is a strategic bilateral cooperation for industrial technological innovation under the I4F. This project will address limitations of traditional GPS-dependent drones in industrial spaces with AI-based navigation algorithms, sensor fusion, and ruggedized hardware.
The partnership is about redefining industrial inspection, as BBBS, known for its innovation, continues to expand its technological footprint globally, while Foresight's proven technologies in the automotive ADAS and autonomous vehicle sectors will be essential for the project's success. This project will undoubtedly contribute to improving safety, reducing operational costs, and enhancing efficiency in various industries.
