The Indian Army’s Directorate of Capability Development has signed an agreement for the procurement of an indigenously developed Fire Fighting Robot (FF BOT) to enhance safety during firefighting operations at high-risk installations, particularly armament depots.

Swadeshi Empresa Pvt Ltd, and Indian start-up, has developed the FF BOT under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative. The unmanned ground system is designed to operate in environments involving explosions, toxic smoke and the risk of structural collapse, where human entry is unsafe.

Developed under the iDEX framework for the Indian Navy, the Fire Fighting Robot is being procured by the Indian Army for the first time by leveraging the enabling provision to acquire Idex products developed for a sister Service, based on their Single Stage Composite Trial (SSCT).

The Army Design Bureau also extended assistance, reflecting the Army’s push to support defence startups and indigenously developed solutions under the Make in India framework.

The agreement, signed on January 13, covers the procurement of 18 firefighting robots for Rs 62 crore. This was followed by extensive trials. The contract includes a two-year warranty and five years of comprehensive maintenance. It further ensures on-site serviceability for a total of seven years. Induction of the systems is scheduled to begin in the first week of April. The deployment planned across various cantonments in the country.

The firefighting robot was the first iDEX SPRINT case under DISC-7 to receive an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN)  in 2023. A ministry of defence initiative, iDEX aims to create an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging industries.

The system is designed for use at ammunition depots, fuel storage areas, oil refineries and industrial plants. The FF BOT is remotely operated from a safe distance. Firefighters control the robot from outside the danger zone and allow firefighting action to happen without exposing personnel to direct risk.

The system is equipped with optical and thermal cameras, which enable transmission of live video feeds to operators. Thermal imaging enables the identification of hotspots and concealed flames. This supports situational awareness and informed decision-making during firefighting operations in low-visibility conditions.

The FF BOT performed firefighting operations in civilian settings during a major fire at the Visakhapatnam refiner, demonstrating its applicability even in civilian spaces.  Officials said the system can be used at industrial facilities, power stations, fuel storage sites, airports and in disaster response scenarios where access for human firefighters is restricted.

Officials said the firefighting robot is intended to supplement human firefighters by allowing unmanned systems to enter the most hazardous areas first, reducing risk while maintaining the ability to respond rapidly to fires in sensitive environments.

The FF BOT can also support disaster response. Fires caused by accidents, industrial failures or natural disasters often create chaotic and dangerous conditions, making them difficult and tense. Even as robots cannot replace firefighters completely, they can assist by entering risky areas and providing live information by saving humans from putting themselves in harm’s way.