Bengaluru-based industrial tech startup Docketrun is exploring pilot projects in the UAE’s Jebel Ali Freezone (Jafza) alongside DP World, using the UAE-India CEPA Council Startup Series as its launchpad. The startup, which uses AI to monitor and prevent workplace accidents in heavy industries, is using the UAE as its gateway to the broader MENA region and Europe, with initial efforts focused on the region’s steel and cement sectors.

Following a December visit to Abu Dhabi, the startup initiated discussions with DP World’s safety and security teams in Jafza. “We have put up a set of use cases and are in discussion with companies on running pilots,” founder and CEO Ajay Kabadi tells EnterpriseAM.

The UAE’s proactive stance on innovation makes it an ideal testing ground, with government support extending beyond policy by creating prospects for startups to transition from initial pilots to paid proof-of-concept, Director of Growth Raghavendra Meharwade tells us. Docketrun aims to contribute directly to the UAE’s Operation 300 bn, which aims to transform the Emirates into a global, knowledge-based industrial hub, he added.

The AI “brain” preventing industrial accidents

Docketrun’s platform acts as an automated, always-on safety supervisor. The system uses a network of cameras and sensors coupled with AI processing to interpret real-time activity on the factory floor and detect accidents.

India’s heavy manufacturing sectors see an estimated three to four worker fatalities and over eight major accidents every day. “There are safety supervisors, but they will not be able to make themselves available across every nook and corner of a manufacturing plant, limiting interventions to prevent such accidents,” Kabadi tells us.

The system understands the specific standard operating procedures of each plant. When the AI detects a deviation — such as a worker entering a hazardous zone — it can trigger an immediate response through localized audible alarms or send notifications to supervisors. It can also blare out vocal warnings in multiple languages.

The platform can connect and interact with programmable logic controllers inside a factory to send commands to machinery and electronic systems on the floor. “Auto-mater commands can be sent from our system to third-party systems on a production line to pause the operations of a machine during an accident until the person moves out of danger,” Kabadi explains.

Docketrun has been deployed across 160 manufacturing plants in India since it launched in 2020, building a robust client roster that includes Hindalco, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, and Arjas Steel. “Each of these projects is able to generate thousands of alarms every day, preventing incidents or at least making sure there is no downtime,” Kabadi notes.

Capital and collaboration

The company is actively seeking local ecosystem partners in the UAE, including safety and security OEMs and hardware developers, while looking to tap into local talent and technical expertise to expand in the region. Developing ties with universities is essential for Docketrun to cultivate the local talent needed for expansion, Meharwade says. The company is currently exploring partnerships with institutions like Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi to solve regional industrial problems and recruit local interns and employees.

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