Hardware
Indigenous STBs, courtesy ABS Productions
MUMBAI: Efforts have been on to spur Indian companies to manufacture cable TV set top boxes (STB) domestically – the government has been encouraging and nudging the private sector to do so. The Mumbai-based ABS Seven Star group – which runs a health channel and a cable TV network in Mumbai – seems to have taken the bait. It has set up a new company called ABS Productions Pvt Ltd which has designed standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) and hybrid STBS – both MPEG2 and MPEG4 – and contracted Videocon group company Trend Electronics to manufacture them at its Aurangabad plant.
“Trend Electronics also makes STBs for Videocond2h and it has very good experience doing so. Hence we have struck up a manufacturing alliance with it,” says ABS Seven Star CMD Atul Saraf.
Saraf has hired a 20 member team for the STB manufacturing initiative – 14 of these are working on the software while the rest will be looking after the hardware. While the manufacturing unit has a 30,000 STBs per day capacity, its first order will roll out of the assembly lines by 15 May. “The first order is for our cable TV network ABS Seven Star, which is close to 50,000 boxes,” he says.
Saraf points out that close to $1 million has been pumped into R&D while designing the STBs locally.
Saraf is a firm believer of indigenous manufacturing of STBs. “When the government mandated implementation of digitisation, it was since then, that I was against importing boxes from abroad. These plain vanilla Chinese boxes are of poor quality and need to be replaced every couple of years. Also, a big disadvantage is that there are no service centers,” he says.
He reveals that local manufacturing will ensure better service standards apart from generating employment. “Phase III and IV markets will need approximately 100 million STBs.I hope to capture about 5 per cent of this by next year” he says.
Based on the Broadcom chipset – ensuring better video quality – the higher end boxes will have a recording facility as well, apart from being able to deliver internet. The Hybrid STB will also deliver a video on demand service. “We are not tying up with any OTT platform for this, but will create our own platform to facilitate the VOD service,” says he.
In order to ensure better service, 200 Videocon d2h service centers, across India, have been roped in to bandage and spruce up the STBs should they face any problems in close proximity to their installation.
ABS Productions has priced the MPEG2 SD box at Rs 1200-1300, the MPEG4 SD box at Rs 1400-1600, the MPEG4 HD box at Rs 2,300-2,400 while Hybrid Box is priced at Rs 3,500-3,800.
MUMBAI: Addverb has taken a decisive turn on the road to humanoid automation, unveiling its first wheeled humanoid robot, Elixis-W, at LogiMAT India 2026 in Mumbai. Built and manufactured in India, the robot signals the company’s push to make so-called physical AI a practical presence on the factory floor rather than a futuristic concept.
Unlike traditional fixed automation, Elixis-W is designed to move, think and work alongside people in dynamic industrial settings. The robot combines adaptive wheeled mobility with dual arms, each fitted with five-fingered dexterous hands, allowing it to handle tasks that demand precision as well as flexibility.
At its core sits a Physical AI-ready architecture, supported by dual Nvidia Jetson Orin and Thor computing units. This setup is intended to give the robot the ability to perceive, plan and adapt to changing environments, rather than simply follow pre-programmed routines.
According to Addverb CEO and co-founder Sangeet Kumar, the humanoid reflects the company’s long-standing belief in human-robot collaboration. He said the robot is designed to take on repetitive, risky or physically demanding tasks, freeing human workers to focus on higher-value decision-making roles.
Alongside the humanoid, Addverb also showcased two new intralogistics solutions. The Cruiser 360, a four-way pallet shuttle, is aimed at high-density storage environments where space and speed matter. The FlowT, an autonomous forklift, is designed to move materials safely in busy warehouses and factory spaces.
Visitors also saw Trakr, the company’s quadruped robot, navigating the exhibition floor, offering a glimpse of how legged machines could assist in future warehouse and industrial operations.
Addverb, which began as a warehouse automation specialist, has steadily expanded its global footprint across the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. Its client list includes Reliance, HUL, PepsiCo, Maersk, Mondial Relay and DHL.
With the launch of Elixis-W, the company is steering towards a future where robots are not just bolted to the floor, but rolling, reasoning and working shoulder to shoulder with people on the shopfloor.
