Harsh Zala, CEO and Founding father of Aerobotics7 International, is a young innovator from Ahmedabad, India, celebrated as “India’s drone wiz.” With multiple patents, Zala began inventing at 10, making a remote-control device for home appliances. At 14, inspired to deal with the hazards of undetected landmines, he developed a prototype and, after facing rejection from 12 firms, launched Aerobotics7 with family support.
Now a frontrunner in aerospace and defense technology, Zala’s journey of innovation and resilience inspires others to consider in purpose-driven success and the ability of determination.
Aerobotics7 has developed an end-to-end technology platform designed for multi-domain threat detection and neutralization, offering enhanced speed, accuracy, and safety compared to standard methods.
The platform represents a major advancement over traditional tools resembling armored vehicles, metal detectors, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR), which have historically been used to discover obstacles and hidden threats like landmines.
With an estimated 65 million acres of land contaminated by energetic landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) across greater than 60 countries, Aerobotics7 collaborates with governments, organizations, and military entities to deal with this ongoing global hazard.
You were quite young if you first became aware of the worldwide landmine issue. What opened your eyes to this problem, and the way did you realize that technology, specifically drones and AI, could provide an answer?
I’d long been obsessive about tinkering with bits of technology at home, before I discovered the difficulty of landmines. I used to construct robots to assist my mum clean the home faster, and other tools to assist my school with automating the lights. After I was twelve I got here across an image of a toddler who’d lost each his legs to a landmine, and it was a hugely pivotal moment for me. I’d been unaware of the dimensions of the issue until then – there are greater than 100 million energetic landmines worldwide – and there wasn’t a technologically advanced solution to assist.
I had began constructing drones around the identical time, and I assumed, “Why don’t we use a drone that may fly and detect these mines remotely without risking the operators?”. A small amount of research had shown me that the world was still using manual, dangerous approaches to de-mining that were a long time old.
The drone wasn’t the one solution though, because there are a lot of kinds of non-metallic mines, so I began working on making a form of a radar system that might allow us to detect them. Our major solution is definitely the advanced radar, sensor fusion and Machine Learning combination that we attach to drones, meaning these may be utilized in any conditions, including underwater.
Founding Aerobotics7 at just 14 years old should have include unique challenges. What inspired you to take the leap into entrepreneurship, and the way did you navigate the technique of developing your first prototype?
Juggling school, a growing passion for technology, and starting a business was definitely difficult. I’ve all the time had an entrepreneurial mindset—at 12, I founded Robosoft Group, a school-based organization where I trained undergrad and grad students in practical development for his or her capstone projects. This experience taught me the importance of solving real-world problems and instilled confidence in my ability to tackle complex challenges.
The leap into founding Aerobotics7 got here after seeing a haunting photo of a toddler who had lost each legs to a landmine. It was a pivotal moment that opened my eyes to the sheer scale of this global issue and the dearth of technological advancements to deal with it. Driven by the urgency of the issue, I began developing a drone-based solution. Initially, I worked on ground-based systems, but quickly realized drones offered far greater potential. After a couple of prototypes of drone-based systems, I collaborated with Urvashi Kikani, a former Robosoft student and now my co-founder at Aerobotics7, leveraging her expertise in Aeronautical Engineering. Together, we continued the long journey of constructing advanced systems that combined computer vision, ML, radar, and autonomous technologies to resolve this problem.
What were among the biggest challenges you faced when founding Aerobotics7, and the way did you overcome them?
Starting young got here with unique hurdles. Resources were scarce—Robosoft Group helped me generate revenue to purchase tools and components, but even then, I needed to be resourceful. I didn’t have web at home, so my grandfather accompanied me to an online café as I used to be a minor where I spent hours almost on daily basis downloading research papers and books to realize foundational knowledge on many features of engineering each hardware and software. I’d print them out and skim them late into the night, using every available moment to learn and experiment.
Facing skepticism was one other challenge. I reached out to nearby firms to pitch my idea but was often dismissed because I used to be “only a kid.” Some even said I’d need a PhD to work on this, which, while discouraging at first, ultimately fueled my determination. My parents’ trust and support were invaluable—they believed in my work, even when it meant balancing school and my passion. This mix of resilience, resourcefulness, and family support allowed me to push forward and switch challenges into stepping stones on the earliest stage.
Are you able to walk us through the journey out of your initial concept to the event of the EAGLE A7 drone platform? What major breakthroughs helped shape your technology?
The journey began with one goal: making landmine and hidden threat detection safer, faster, and more accurate. My initial concept was a ground robot, but its limitations—terrain restrictions and lack of scalability—led me to concentrate on drones. My background in drone-building at Robosoft helped, however the challenge was developing a system able to carrying detection payloads while maintaining efficiency.
Early prototypes used oscillation-based detectors for metal detection, but these had high false-positive rates and couldn’t detect non-metallic mines. This limitation sparked years of R&D into radar-based systems. A serious breakthrough got here once we began integrating sensor fusion and multi-modal AI a couple of years ago. By combining radar, Lidar, optical sensors, and advanced algorithms, we created a unified system that drastically improved detection accuracy.
Today, the EAGLE A7 platform represents the culmination of years of iterative development. The system continues to be under energetic development and testing with our partners. We’ve scheduled pilots in Ukraine for early Summer 2025 to reinforce the present demining process and proceed refining the platform based on field data.
This technology is recognized for being 50 times faster and safer than traditional methods for detecting landmines. What makes Aerobotics7’s drones and AI so revolutionary on this space?
Traditional landmine detection relies heavily on manual methods, which are usually not only slow but extremely dangerous. Aerobotics7’s technology automates and accelerates this process by combining advanced sensor fusion with AI. The drones integrate radar, Lidar, and optical sensors to create a comprehensive picture of the terrain, identifying each metallic and non-metallic threats, on-surface and buried with high precision.
Our AI-driven models are trained to research these multi-modal data streams in real-time, significantly reducing false positives and clearance time. The system’s modular design also allows for seamless upgrades and customization for various environments, making it adaptable to a wide selection of scenarios. While still under development, the platform’s early results show its potential to redefine the landscape of demining with unmatched speed, safety, and accuracy.
What role do partnerships with international organizations and governments play in achieving Aerobotics7’s mission?
Partnerships are integral to our mission. Collaborating with governments and international organizations enables us to scale our impact and tailor our solutions to real-world needs. These partnerships provide access to critical field data, operational insights, and deployment opportunities.
Working with international demining organizations and defense departments globally has allowed us to validate and refine our technology under diverse conditions. These collaborations not only enhance our capabilities but in addition bring us closer to achieving our ultimate goal: saving lives and restoring freedom of movement in conflict-affected areas.
You latterly won the Kluz Prize for PeaceTech. Could you start by explaining what PeaceTech is and why it’s necessary?
PeaceTech refers back to the use of technology to advertise peace, stability, and safety in conflict zones. It involves leveraging innovation to deal with challenges like landmines, which threaten civilian lives and hinder economic growth in post-conflict regions.
Traditional demining and conflict resolution methods are sometimes slow, costly, and dangerous. PeaceTech solutions, resembling ours, offer scalable and efficient alternatives that not only save lives but in addition create opportunities for rebuilding communities and fostering long-term stability.
An excellent concept around that is “Triple-Use Technology,” introduced by Artur Kluz and Stefaan Verhulst. This framework envisions technology serving industrial, defense, and peacebuilding purposes concurrently. By integrating peacebuilding into technological applications, can develop solutions that address multiple societal needs, enhancing each security and prosperity.
How does winning the Kluz Prize for PeaceTech impact your organization’s future plans? Will this recognition enable you to expand globally?
Winning the Kluz Prize validates the years of effort we’ve invested in pioneering this technology. It opens doors to latest collaborations with international organizations and accelerates our entry into key markets.
This recognition strengthens our credibility as a frontrunner in PeaceTech, helping to forge partnerships and secure funding for global expansion.
As a young founder, what’s your long-term vision for Aerobotics7?
My vision is to position Aerobotics7 as the worldwide leader in developing platforms that transform mission-critical operations. Beyond landmine detection, I see our technology evolving right into a multi-mission platform able to tackling diverse challenges, from disaster response to critical infrastructure monitoring.
At its core, Aerobotics7 is about creating life-saving technology that empowers operators with higher and faster systems. I envision a future where our innovations redefine safety and efficiency across industries, fostering a safer, more resilient, and connected world.
Looking back, what has been essentially the most rewarding aspect of your journey up to now, and what keeps you motivated to proceed pushing the boundaries of drone and AI technology?
Probably the most rewarding aspect has been seeing how technology can directly impact lives. Knowing that our work at Aerobotics7 is paving the best way for safer, more efficient threat detection and potentially saving countless lives is incredibly fulfilling.
What keeps me motivated is the responsibility to make this technology as effective and accessible as possible. We’re not only constructing a system; we’re creating an answer to an issue that has persevered for a long time. The continued development of the EAGLE A7 platform, from sensor fusion to multi-modal AI, inspires me to push the boundaries further. Our scheduled pilots in Ukraine for early Summer 2025 mark a major milestone, and the opportunity of witnessing its real-world impact continues to drive me forward.
Looking back, what has been essentially the most rewarding aspect of your journey up to now, and what keeps you motivated to proceed pushing the boundaries of drone and AI technology?
The journey itself has been deeply rewarding—from overcoming challenges as a young founder to constructing a product with global significance. What stands out most is the people and communities we’re working to assist. Landmine detection isn’t nearly technology; it’s about restoring hope and safety to affected regions.
What motivates me on daily basis is the vision of a world where no child loses their future to a landmine. The breakthroughs we’ve achieved up to now in radar systems, sensor fusion, and AI are only the start. With every step, from development to field testing with our partners, I see Aerobotics7 getting closer to creating this vision a reality. That promise of tangible, lasting impact keeps me pushing forward.