For This Defence Startup, an Image is Better For a Thousand Actions

Tonbo Imaging, the most impactful defense technology start-up in the country, brings economies of scale to defense and enterprise market with an asset light model built on deep technology

learn more about Sandeep Soni

By Sandeep Soni

Entrepreneur

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

ARVIND LAKSHMIKUMAR (42), FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TONBO IMAGING

Bengaluru-based Tonbo Imaging, the most impactful defense technology start-up in the country, brings economies of scale to defense and enterprise market with an asset light model built on deep technology, similar to existing industries including logistics, hospitality, transportation and commerce. It builds imaging technology that uses multiple complementary sensors to allow users to see and interpret the environment around them during night, dust, fog etc. for military, security, transportation safety and industrial inspection applications. "The entire hardware process rides on the consumer electronics manufacturing chain and contract manufacturing. That brings performance in terms of size, weight and power; cost in terms of economies of contract manufacturing and scalability through easy adoption of new technology as value to our customers. In some sense, we are to the defense industry what Apple is to the mobile phone industry," says Lakshmikumar.

He last year won a $25-million contract for border surveillance in North Africa and Europe and raised $17 million to scale its international business. For Lakshmikumar, the biggest achievement is in disrupting the procurement of military electrooptics systems and democratizing night vision technology as that's the backbone for any modern day military system across guns, tanks, ships and UAVs. The technology also lends itself well to commercial applications like intelligent transportation systems, mining vehicles and smart city programs.

MARCHING AHEAD

LAUNCH July 2012 in B'luru GROWTH 80-100% per annum REVENUE >Rs 100 crore HEADCOUNT 150 TOTAL INVESTMENT ~Rs 150 crore NO. OF PATENTS 12

Sandeep Soni

Former Features Editor

Related Topics

Leadership

5 Winning Habits That Will Transform Your Leadership Skills

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? Discover the five winning habits that will transform you into an exceptional leader!

News and Trends

GPT-4 Is Just the Tip Of the Imminent AI Revolution: Sam Altman

One of the biggest and most notable names in the 21st century is OpenAI's founder Sam Altman. An ordinary man wouldn't have known that Altman existed back in February 2022. However, now? He's the poster boy of Artificial Intelligence to this generation.

Health & Wellness

5 Essential Steps to Expand Your Vision and Start Living Your Dream Life

It's time to break free from your comfort zone and expand your vision. When you refuse to settle for a mediocre life, you can start building a life you love.

Business Process

Why Embracing Chaos is Crucial to Your Success and Longevity

Chaos engineering is a popular idea in software engineering, centered around the premise that deliberately breaking a system to gain information will ultimately help improve that system's resiliency. Given the uncertainty of our times, CEOs might want to apply this type of approach in their corporate sustainability strategies.

Entrepreneurs

This Unique Social Startup Helps in Offsetting Carbon Footprint

Verdoo, a free online tool, helps consumers fight climate change through online shopping