Building an indigenous robotic soldering solution

Pune-based Shrikrushna Kakde and Govardhan Gondchawar founded SlightGen Solutions LLP to build a homegrown robotic soldering system

A gap in India’s electronics factories sparked an unlikely second innings for Pune-based retired professionals Shrikrushna Kakde and Govardhan Gondchawar, who founded SlightGen Solutions LLP in 2025 in Pune to build a homegrown robotic soldering system.

Before beginning development, the duo interacted with PCB assembly companies to understand their production processes and the problems encountered on factory floors. (HT)

A recurring problem faced by electronics manufacturers set the two professionals, Shrikrushna, an engineer, and Govardhan, a graduate, thinking. Most high-quality robotic soldering systems available in India were imported from Japan, China or Korea.

“While premium machines were prohibitively expensive for many micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cheaper alternatives often fell short on reliability, flexibility and after-sales support,” Shrikrushna says.

This gap led to the founding of SlightGen Solutions LLP, which has now developed an indigenous robotic platform for soldering printed circuit boards (PCBs).

“Manufacturers were being forced to choose between expensive imported machines and lower-cost systems that did not always offer the reliability, flexibility or local support they needed,” Shrikrushna explains.

Before beginning development, the duo interacted with PCB assembly companies to understand their production processes and the problems encountered on factory floors. They also conducted feasibility trials using customers’ own circuit boards.

“The need was verified through direct conversations with manufacturers and by studying their actual production workflows,” Govardhan says.

“We did not want to develop a machine that worked only under laboratory conditions. We continuously tested and refined it against real manufacturing requirements.”

Building the platform required expertise in mechanical engineering, embedded electronics, motion control, industrial software and manufacturing process engineering. SlightGen chose not to manufacture every component from scratch. Instead, it concentrated on developing the technologies that would differentiate its machine.

“Our core intellectual property lies in the control software, firmware, electronics, system architecture, calibration and process engineering,” Shrikrushna says.

“The aim was to build an integrated platform that could deliver consistent soldering quality while remaining easy to operate and adapt.”

It took the startup approximately 18 to 24 months to move from the initial concept to a commercially deployable product. A core team of six engineers worked on the system, taking it through multiple design iterations.

The machine was progressively improved in areas such as repeatability, thermal control, software usability and production readiness. SlightGen also incorporated features including Gerber file import, barcode-based job logging, temperature-profile recording, production-statistics dashboards and video recording.

Gerber files contain the design information used in PCB manufacturing. Their direct import into the platform helps the operator configure soldering tasks more efficiently

“We wanted to go beyond merely automating the movement of a soldering iron,” Shrikrushna says. “Manufacturers also need process control, traceability and usable production data. Each iteration was therefore guided by what would make the system more useful and dependable on the shop floor.”

Selling

Winning the first customer required more than a sales presentation. The team approached manufacturers and demonstrated the machine on the companies’ own PCBs. Customer-specific proof-of-concept trials helped establish whether the machine could handle the required components and soldering processes before it was commercially deployed.

“Our first sale came through technical validation rather than conventional marketing,” Govardhan recalls. “When customers saw the machine successfully soldering their own boards and meeting their process requirements, it gave them the confidence to adopt it.”

This validation-led approach continues to form the basis of SlightGen’s go-to-market strategy. The company reaches electronics manufacturers directly, conducts live demonstrations and develops customer-specific proof of concepts. It also participates in industrial exhibitions, contributes to technical publications and offers customised automation solutions to MSMEs and original equipment manufacturers.

Depending on its configuration and the level of customisation required, SlightGen’s robotic soldering system is priced between ₹8.5 lakh and ₹14.5 lakh.

Funding

The venture has been completely bootstrapped since inception. It has not raised external equity and has grown using the founders’ resources as well as revenue generated through engineering and product-development activities. The company has chosen not to disclose its cumulative investment or revenue at this stage.

“We are not actively seeking external funding at present,” Shrikrushna says.

“Our focus is on sustainable growth through customer adoption, expanding the product range and strengthening our manufacturing and service capabilities.”

The Future

Over the next 12 months, SlightGen plans to increase adoption of its robotic soldering platform among Indian electronics manufacturers. It also intends to strengthen its service network and add software capabilities related to traceability, analytics and smart manufacturing.

Its longer-term ambition extends beyond replacing imported soldering equipment.

“In five years, we want SlightGen to be recognised as one of India’s leading industrial automation companies for electronics manufacturing,” Shrikrushna says.

“Our vision is not limited to import substitution. We want to build globally competitive automation platforms that are designed and engineered in India and serve manufacturers both here and overseas.”