Mukesh Ambani-Backed Technology Monitoring Pipelines Has A Virus Moment

For Tarun Kumar Mishra, co-founder of Detect Technologies Pvt. Ltd., it was the perfect opportunity for his product: a real-time pipeline monitoring system that tracks leaks and corrosion using sensors and artificial intelligence.

As India gets battered by Covid-19, keeping many away from their workplaces, one segment of its energy market is flourishing by cutting out labor-intensive tasks at some of the world's biggest refining complexes. When the virus pummeled the South Asian nation, operators of refineries and power generators were forced to postpone routine maintenance in order to avoid infections among the hundreds of technicians, engineers, and general workers typically hired for such tasks. As they sought alternatives, some turned to technology and automation to bridge the gap. For Tarun Kumar Mishra, co-founder of Detect Technologies Pvt. Ltd., it was the perfect opportunity for his product: a real-time pipeline monitoring system that tracks leaks and corrosion using sensors and artificial intelligence. In 2014, tycoon Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd. made a rare $100,000 investment in Mishra, which helped fund the initiative. "Technology adoption increased substantially," Mishra said. "The Covid-19 outbreak forced everyone to break the inertia of working with a certain process that's been in place for 50 to 60 years. They either had to shut down the plant or try a new way."