Kumar Bahukhandi
Solinas Integrity Private Limited, a deep-tech robotics company incubated at IIT Madras, has been selected as the subject of a case study published on Harvard Business Publishing – the world’s foremost repository of business school teaching cases used by institutions across six continents. Authored by Dr. Suresh Srinivasan from the Great Lakes Institute of Management, the case thoughtfully captures Solinas’ journey, innovation, and growing impact across India.
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ENDOBOT enables robotic inspection to detect defects inside water, sewer, & stormwater pipelines, while HOMOSEP eliminates manual scavenging through mechanized manhole cleaning
Operating at the intersection of public infrastructure and industrial systems, Solinas has emerged as a key player working closely with municipal corporations across multiple states, as well as leading industries. The company focuses on solving critical challenges in underground infrastructure, ranging from manual scavenging, water pipeline leakages, and contamination risks to unsafe sewer systems, areas that are often invisible yet vital to public health and sustainability.
Through its advanced robotics, AI, and digitization solutions, Solinas is enabling cities to reduce non-revenue water, improve service delivery, and make data-driven decisions. At the same time, its solutions are helping industries ensure operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure reliability.
Solinas is among a small cohort of Indian startups — and fewer still from the WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) sector — to be featured in this publishing ecosystem. The case is now available as a teaching resource for MBA programs and business schools worldwide.
The HBS case study highlights how Solinas is building a scalable and impact-driven business model in a traditionally underserved sector. It explores the company’s approach to navigating complex government ecosystems, establishing credibility in industrial markets, and leveraging technology to create measurable outcomes.
“There is no playbook for building a technology company in the water and sanitation sector. Solinas has been built through constant experimentation and learning. Having studied Harvard Business School case studies during my education, it is incredibly meaningful to now see our journey featured as one,” said Divanshu Kumar, Co-founder & CEO, Solinas.
The case is expected to serve as a global learning resource for students, policymakers, and business leaders, offering insights into innovation, public-private collaboration, and building a startup in critical infrastructure sectors in WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene).
About Solinas Integrity Private Limited
Solinas is a deep-tech startup in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector, incubated at IIT Madras. The company focuses on underground urban water and wastewater infrastructure, developing robotics and AI-led solutions for the inspection, cleaning, digitization, and management of underground networks. Its portfolio includes robotic inspection systems, AI-powered analytics platforms, and the Manhole Cleaning Robot designed to enable safer and mechanized sewer maintenance. These technologies allow cities and utilities to visualize, assess, clean, and manage infrastructure that is otherwise invisible, improving safety, reducing non-revenue water, and eliminating the need for manual scavenging.
Recognized and honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Solinas partners with urban local bodies, water utilities, and industries to enhance the safety, efficiency, and resilience of critical public infrastructure.
Solinas’ solutions have been deployed across more than 30 cities in India, enabling large-scale inspection, cleaning, and maintenance of underground water and wastewater systems. The company has worked with leading urban utilities and municipal bodies including Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), Sangli, Miraj Municipal Corporation, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, Tripura Jal Board, Greater Chennai Corporation, and Noida Authority. Its technology supports significant reductions in water loss, saving up to 600,000 litres per kilometre of inspection per day while lowering operational costs by up to five times.
Through solutions such as the Manhole Cleaning Robot, ENDOBOT Robotic Crawler, and AI-driven analytics platforms, Solinas enables a proactive, data-driven approach to infrastructure management while advancing worker safety, operational efficiency, and climate resilience.
The company has also expanded internationally, with its ENDOBOT robotic solution deployed with Dubai Municipality, and is now planning to scale its presence across the Middle East.
Solinas aims to further expand its footprint across India and global markets, with a continued focus on enabling safer, more sustainable, and resilient urban infrastructure systems through robotics, AI, and intelligent underground infrastructure management.
