Key Points
- Emergence opens India’s first frontier AI lab for autonomous agents in Bengaluru
- Lab plans to hire 500 research scientists and engineers over four years
- IISc professor Siddhartha Gadgil joins as chief scientist
Emergence, a New York-based artificial intelligence company, launched India’s first dedicated research lab for autonomous AI agents in Bengaluru on Monday. The facility, called Emergence India Labs, will focus on building AI systems capable of operating digital and physical infrastructure without continuous human oversight.
The lab represents a significant inward research and development investment, though the company did not disclose the exact amount beyond describing it as tens of millions of dollars. Emergence plans to hire 500 research scientists and engineers over the next three to four years, the company said in a statement.
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The facility is located near the Indian Institute of Science campus in Bengaluru, and Emergence said it will collaborate with IISc through joint research programmes, hackathons and summer schools.
IISc professor joins as chief scientist
Siddhartha Gadgil, a professor at IISc, has joined Emergence India Labs as chief scientist while retaining his academic position. His appointment signals the lab’s focus on building ties with India’s academic research community rather than operating as an isolated corporate outpost.
Three Indian-American scientists who previously worked at IBM Research founded Emergence. The company builds what the AI industry calls autonomous agents, which are software systems designed to complete complex tasks across multiple steps without human intervention at each stage. Unlike chatbots that respond to single queries, autonomous agents can navigate enterprise software, make decisions and execute actions independently.
The company framed the lab as a step toward building sovereign AI capability in India. Most multinational technology companies operate their Indian research centres as extensions of headquarters in the United States or Europe. Emergence said it intends EIL to function as a core research facility rather than a satellite office.
India’s AI adoption in manufacturing
The launch comes as AI adoption accelerates in Indian industry. According to the NASSCOM and MeitY report cited by the company, 65 per cent of Indian manufacturers had integrated AI into their operations by 2024, up from 45 per cent in 2022. The domestic AI-in-manufacturing market is projected to grow at roughly 40 per cent annually and could exceed ₹67,000 crore by 2030, the company said.
Emergence argues that India’s technology sector needs to move beyond its traditional strength in IT services toward building the underlying systems that power automation. The company pointed to global trends showing a shift in research leadership. The Nature Index 2025 Research Leaders report found that Chinese universities now hold nine of the top ten positions in natural sciences research globally.
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In industrial robotics, China accounted for approximately 54 per cent of all robot installations worldwide in 2024, deploying hundreds of thousands of new units in factories annually, according to the same company statement.
Focus on mission-critical infrastructure
The lab will initially concentrate on autonomous AI for digital infrastructure, including financial networks, telecommunications platforms and cloud systems. The company said the same foundational technologies could eventually power physical AI applications in manufacturing, logistics, ports and factories.
“We believe the most immediate opportunity lies in building autonomous AI systems capable of operating the world’s most mission-critical digital infrastructure – from financial networks and telecom platforms to cloud and digital public systems,” said Satya Nitta, Co-founder and CEO of Emergence.
Autonomous AI agents differ from conventional automation software in their ability to handle unexpected situations and make contextual decisions. A traditional automated system follows predetermined rules, while an autonomous agent can interpret new scenarios and determine appropriate responses, though the technology remains in early stages of deployment for critical systems.
The broader ambition, according to Emergence, is to demonstrate that frontier AI research can be headquartered in India rather than simply supported from India. The company said it hopes other firms will follow with similar investments over the next five years.
Your Questions, Answered
What is Emergence India Labs?
Emergence India Labs is India’s first dedicated research facility focused on autonomous AI agents, located near IISc in Bengaluru. It aims to build AI systems capable of operating digital and physical infrastructure independently.
How many people will Emergence India Labs hire?
The lab plans to hire 500 research scientists and engineers over the next three to four years, making it one of the largest frontier AI research expansions in India.
Who founded Emergence?
Emergence was founded by three Indian-American scientists who previously worked at IBM Research. The company is headquartered in New York.
What are autonomous AI agents?
Autonomous AI agents are software systems designed to complete complex multi-step tasks without human intervention at each stage. Unlike chatbots, they can navigate enterprise software, make decisions and execute actions independently.
