[Exclusive Interview] This Tech Startup Ensures Safety With AI-Based Real-Time CCTV Monitoring & Analytics

Recently, we interacted with Mr. Atul Rai, Co-founder and CEO of Staqu Technologies, which is a A National Award-Winning Audio-Video Analytics and Management (A-VA-VMS) Company.

Here are the interview highlights:

Brief us about your journey and how you started?

I (Atul Rai) have always been an academic, and I did my preliminary research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) during my graduate program before going on to undertake my Master’s degree at the University of Manchester, which is well-known for AI testing. Extensive research revealed one remarkable fact: images account for roughly 70% of data shared on the Internet. As a result, I continued to work on the research for a few more years, establishing my theories and assessing how tech-focused AI could be interpreted for everyday customers. When I returned to India in 2015, I had the good fortune to run into Anurag Saini and Pankaj Kumar at our previous workplace. Given the expertise in our fields, we realized that we all empower each other, so we decided to establish a dedicated AI company to address the issue of automation in audio-video data pointers. As a result, we launched Staqu in 2015, focusing on audio-video analytics and management with our product JARVIS. Staqu provides a unified solution to any image analysis and information extraction problem.

Brief us about the JARVIS tool by Staqu.

JARVIS is a platform for audio-video analytics that has modernized people’s perceptions of surveillance technologies. JARVIS uses artificial intelligence, patented technologies, and one-of-a-kind competence to deliver security innovation in addition to the best business solution possible. It employs a novel method of extracting important data from long CCTV video footage using artificial intelligence and computer vision to generate short and valuable real-time warning messages. Insights from 85+ analytics dramatically improve operational intelligence and accelerate situational awareness.

Please tell us about the products and services you provide to your customers and how they get value out of it.

With cutting-edge image recognition technology and smart surveillance of objects, crowds, perimeters, and vehicles, JARVIS has proven to be one of the simplest highly configurable AI-based Video Analytics Engines in recent years. JARVIS offers a user-friendly dashboard that enables clients to track critical incidents and respond appropriately. The Video Wall panel facilitates centralized monitoring of all cameras from different locations on a single screen. Additionally, JARVIS Video Analytics provides dependable, dynamic, and comprehensive solutions with over 100+ use cases. Since the launch of our product portfolio, we’ve made a lot of progress. On direct lines, we have over 100 companies working with us, including some of the top brands such as Raymond, Café Coffee Day, Starbucks, Chaayos, Crocs, GMR, JK Cement, Agrocel, and others. Furthermore, we are collaborating with nine state police departments to meet their requirements for safety and security monitoring, as well as criminal facial recognition.

What are the use cases of Visual Data Analytics?

In today’s hypercompetitive landscape, modern businesses have begun to appreciate the value of data solutions since they rely heavily on data-driven decisions rather than conventional wisdom or instincts to make more informed choices, maximize efficiency, and be more competent. No wonder, companies are investing heavily in visual data analytics to add intelligence to everything from manufacturing operations to information technology, finance, and security. As a result of its broad nature, which includes structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data types, as well as a variety of data formats, demand for its services has mushroomed. The assessment comprehension of visual data analytics is culminating in deeper meaningful insights and more impactful management decision-making.

What is the USP Staqu is carrying when compared to its competitors?

When it comes to managing safety and data analytics through fully integrated technology, we are far ahead of any competitor in the market. The first benefit is that our platform is plug-and-play, which means that if you have a camera, you don’t need to install any hardware; all you need is a stable internet service. Second, in addition to the video stream, we are analyzing the audio data from the CCTV. This implies that scenes will be examined using both audio and video data (bimodal data), leaving no gaps. Lastly, we offer video management software that allows users to aggregate all feeds from various locations and view them all in real-time, as well as receive real-time alerts. So, while our competitors provide post-event analysis or day-by-day reporting, we provide real-time feeds. In addition, we are targeting not only CCTV cameras but also drones, and the Jarvis platform can even analyze mobile streams.

What’s your opinion on the “Future of video Analytics in India.”

Throughout the world, billions of cameras are used for surveillance. Add to that billions of cameras embedded in smartphones and other personal devices, and we have a mind-boggling ecosystem producing unfathomable volumes of video data every minute. Therefore, video analytics is a rapidly growing field worldwide, and it will continue to grow in the coming years as the amount of data grows exponentially year after year. As a result, we have to keep updating our tools in order to interact with big data. At the same time, what sets this field apart is that it applies to every industry in the world and aids in its transformation. It’s also a booming industry for young aspirants to enter because there’s a lot of unstructured data, which signifies there are a lot of interesting job prospects.

How is Staqu empowering different sectors from Retail to Infrastructure to Security to Law enforcement?

Surveillance cameras equipped with advanced video analytics tools, such as JARVIS, can provide critical insights while monitoring every movement. Real-time data collection and analysis can strengthen authorities by providing adequate information and making data collection, storage, and interpretation easier for city officials. JARVIS can detect traffic violations, prevent crowding, and detect minor to major security issues that traditional cameras cannot. It can even be easily retrofitted by our security systems to identify unattended objects, misaligned behavior, multiple faces, audio analysis, and detects blacklist intrusion, fire, or violence across multiple camera streams simultaneously in real-time. Furthermore, it can aid retail owners by allowing them to know where their customers sit most of the time or which gender is mostly visiting their stores.

Kindly elaborate on some of the major challenges the company has faced till now.

The most pressing challenge was dealing with Artificial Intelligence marketing, which was a novel concept in 2015. Initially, AI was mostly understood in terms of robots capable of performing human tasks, but as the market evolved and the right investors joined in, the barrier was effectively addressed. Furthermore, in most places, India lags behind in terms of infrastructure for camera systems with less than 5 megapixels. Therefore, we’ve had to design features that deal with low-resolution video feeds, multi-camera trafficking, and other issues. Subsequently, the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on every industry, but fortunately, we have a specialized team of employees who never hold back and see every challenge as an opportunity for the company’s overall growth.

What is the roadmap for Staqu going forward?

Staqu’s roadmap encompasses incorporating JARVIS technology into all cameras, making them as intelligent as humans. With our product portfolio, we have already solved numerous business problems in the security, retail, and manufacturing industries. As a result, we are extremely motivated in the coming years to broaden our client base, refine our product portfolio, and establish ourselves in new geographic areas, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, which provide a diverse range of opportunities for business operation and growth. In terms of revenue, we expect to easily exceed INR 20 crore this fiscal year.