Affordable Robotic & Automation Limited (ARAPL), India’s first listed robotics and automation company based in Pune, announced that its subsidiary ARAPL RaaS Private Limited, operating under the Humro brand, has received Conditional Approval from the US Department of War (DoW) for its specified autonomous industrial vehicles and robotic devices under the revised regulatory framework announced by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The approval, announced by the FCC on October 30, covers Humro’s Maia2000 autonomous pallet trucks (V1, V3 and V4) and Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklifts (V1, V2 and V4). The specified devices have been granted exemption from FCC Covered List restrictions, subject to applicable conditions.
Humro is among 13 robotics operators globally to have received Conditional Approval under the revised framework and is the only Indian robotics company among the approved operators, according to the company.
The 13 operators include Husqvarna AB, ANSCER Robotics, Matic Robots, Volley Automation, Vulcan Robotics, Haystack Robotics, T-Robotics, ARAPL RaaS (Humro), ATI Motors, Lightberry Holdings, SunScout Holdings, Swap Robotics Canada and OMRON Holdings. The approvals cover different categories of robotic devices, including robotic lawn mowers, autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles, industrial robots and other robotic platforms.
The approval provides Humro a regulatory pathway to pursue opportunities in the US autonomous material-handling market, estimated at USD 150 billion, subject to applicable regulatory and equipment authorisation requirements. Potential government procurement opportunities would also be subject to eligibility requirements under the Buy American Act and other applicable regulations.
The FCC’s revised framework follows the inclusion of foreign-produced advanced robotic devices in its Covered List in July 2026 on national security grounds. Under the framework, companies can seek Conditional Approval through a national security assessment by the US Department of War. Approvals are subject to compliance with submitted onshoring plans and product vetting requirements.
Commenting on the development, Robinson Philipose, Co-Founder and CEO of Humro, said, “This is a significant milestone for Humro and an important validation of our technology and our commitment to building globally competitive robotics solutions. Being among the first few robotics companies worldwide to receive Conditional Approval under the revised US regulatory framework is a matter of great pride for us.”
Melind Padole, Founder and Director of ARAPL Group, said, “These are exciting times, with our teams in the US and India expanding rapidly. Securing FCC approval within such a short period demonstrates the strength of our team and the capabilities of our products. As we prepare to commence manufacturing in the US in line with FCC requirements, we have also begun working towards meeting the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA) and the Trade Agreements Act (TAA).”
Humro is also developing a next-generation robotics platform based on Vision-Action-Language models and reinforcement learning. The technology is being developed to enable robots to understand instructions, adapt to changing environments and undertake more complex tasks across manufacturing, warehousing and logistics.