US flags China's humanoid robot surge. Why is Washington worried?

US firms have warned that China's fast gains in humanoid robots could reshape industry and security, pushing Washington to consider export curbs, procurement bans and a national robotics strategy

US artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics firms have warned lawmakers that China’s rapid advances in humanoid robots could reshape both industrial competition and national security calculations, opening a new rift in the already widening tech rivalry between the two countries.

 

At a recent hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity subcommittee, executives from companies such as Scale AI and Boston Dynamics pointed to the pace of progress by Chinese firms, particularly Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, and called for coordinated government intervention, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

 

How China’s robotics display triggered an alarm in Washington

 

Executives cited two immediate signals. First, Unitree Robotics’ public demonstration during China’s Lunar New Year gala showed a marked jump in capability within a year. Robots that previously struggled with even basic coordinated movement were shown performing complex martial arts routines, including backflips and jumps.

 

 

Meanwhile, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Chinese firms displaying humanoid robots outnumbered US companies by roughly five to one, according to testimony presented at the hearing.

 

What US robotics firms want Trump to do 

Industry executives proposed a set of policy responses similar to the earlier US actions in semiconductors and AI.

 

These include:

 

> Expanding export controls to include AI inference chips, not just training hardware

 

> Examining national security risks linked to Chinese robotics firms

 

> Restricting federal procurement of certain Chinese AI and robotics systems

 

> Building domestic capacity to manufacture robots at scale

 

Humanoid robots will soon become strategic technology 

Humanoid robots combine advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, actuators, and manufacturing. Unlike software systems, they operate in the physical world in factories, warehouses, and potentially defence environments.

 

US executives flagged two broad risks. One is industrial dependence, that if China dominates robot-based production, it could start controlling key parts of the automation supply chain.

 

And the second is dual-use capability, as robotics systems designed for logistics or industrial work can be adapted for military or high-risk operational environments.

 

The central argument is that humanoid robotics can be pitted alongside semiconductors and AI models in the category of critical infrastructure technologies.

 

Where does India stand in robotics and humanoids

 

Back home, India’s position in robotics is evolving, but it remains at quite an early stage when compared to the US and China, especially in humanoid systems.

 

The country has a growing base of robotics companies; however, most are focused on industrial automation, logistics, or sector-specific applications rather than general-purpose humanoids.

 

For example, Kerala-based Genrobotics has built robots for sanitation and hazardous work, including its “Bandicoot” system, which has been deployed across multiple states to bring an end to manual scavenging.

 

Meanwhile, companies such as Sastra Robotics and Svaya Robotics are working on industrial testing systems and collaborative robots (cobots), targeting manufacturing efficiency rather than humanoid mobility.

 

Which Indian firms are building humanoid robots 

A small but emerging set of companies has begun working on humanoid systems. Noida-based Addverb, an industrial robotics firm, recently unveiled a six-foot humanoid robot designed for warehouse and industrial use, with early plans to deploy around 100 units.

 

Startups such as Muks Robotics and Machani Robotics are developing enterprise and general-purpose humanoids, though these efforts are still in early stages of development and deployment.

 

At the institutional level, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a humanoid robot for military applications, with prototypes already tested for mobility and manipulation tasks.

 

The state of funding and R&D in India’s robotics sector 

Funding for robotics in India is on the rise, though it remains relatively low compared to world leaders.

 

Deep-tech investment is rising, with funds such as Yali Capital raising ₹893 crore to back sectors including robotics, semiconductors, and AI, according to a report by The Times of India.

 

The India Deep Tech Alliance, backed by global and domestic investors, has also mobilised over $850 million to support research-intensive startups across robotics and related fields, Reuters reported.

 

However, despite all this, deep-tech still accounts for a relatively small share of India’s overall startup funding, and robotics R&D remains dispersed across institutions, startups, and government programmes.  

What this means in the larger US-China tech rivalry 

In robotics, especially after developments in China, the focus has shifted from software, models, algorithms, and chips towards more physical systems, especially those that deploy AI in the real world.

 

Although China's strength is manufacturing scale and hardware development, the US does have an edge in software and AI systems, but it lacks in terms of production capabilities.

 

Meanwhile, India is building capabilities in niche applications and early-stage humanoid development, but has yet to emerge as a major player in general-purpose robotics.