From Dance Floor To War: China Readies Humanoid Robots For Combat; Why India Has Every Reason For Concern

At the World Humanoid Robot Games in China last month, robots jumped, boxed and danced. Some fleet-footed bots ran faster than Usain Bolt over 100 meters. Spectators cheered the machines’ improving capabilities and their meme-worthy stumbles.

Two days after the Games ended, the People's Liberation Army's official newspaper drew its own conclusions from the show. The PLA Daily called for researchers to accelerate the transfer of cutting-edge technologies from laboratories to military training grounds for robotic "combatants."

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China's leap from dancing robots to combat machines

China's defence establishment is accelerating research into humanoids’ military uses and planning for their eventual wartime deployment, according to a Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records and defence-company materials.

Military institutions are testing humanoids against battlefield requirements, seeking ‌to acquire robots and technologies to train them, and studying how they might function alongside troops, the previously unreported records show. The work gained momentum in 2025 and 2026, focusing on robot perception, manipulation, and training data.

China has 95 per cent dominance in global humanoid shipments

Chinese manufacturers accounted for about 95 per cent of global humanoid shipments in 2025, according to BofA Global Research. That commercial dominance gives the PLA access to an expanding industry while developing its own military applications.

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China’s robot defence research underscores how rapidly military technologies are evolving globally. In the Russia-Ukraine war, semiautonomous drones that use artificial intelligence for navigation and targeting have transformed reconnaissance and attack, while robots carry supplies and retrieve casualties. Reuters has previously documented the Chinese military’s efforts to learn from Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

That evolution is driving worldwide military interest in autonomous systems. “Going where we don’t want humans to go is one of the most compelling reasons to develop robots in the first place,” said Dennis Hong, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA. “If losing a robot means avoiding the loss of a human life, then the robot can become expendable.”

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However, as of now, Reuters, in its report, asserted it found no evidence that China has deployed an armed humanoid with an operational PLA unit. The robots remain energy-intensive and unreliable outside controlled demonstrations. Battlefield environments pose many variables and challenge robots’ abilities in unpredictable ways, said Aaron Johnson, a professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Why is it alarming for India?

India has clear strategic reasons for concern. China dominates global humanoid robot production and is actively exploring military applications, creating dual-use advantages that could shift force balances along the contested border and beyond.

In 2025, Chinese firms like AgiBot and Unitree each shipped over 4,000–5,000 units; global totals jumped to more than 13,000–20,000. Projections for 2026 reach 50,000–100,000 Chinese units. State support, manufacturing scale, and real-world data create a rapid iteration advantage.

The PLA is researching humanoids for urban assault, reconnaissance, logistics, and eventual combat roles alongside troops. Related robot dogs already appear in drills, some armed. Commercial platforms offer dual-use pathways that can be adapted quickly.

Along the contested LAC, this risks force asymmetry: robots enable persistent presence, reduce Chinese casualties, support high-altitude logistics, and multiply combat power. India lags far behind in scale, supply chains, and deployment timelines.

The combination of exponential commercial growth and documented military interest creates a strategic technology gap India cannot ignore amid ongoing border tensions.

What should India do to deal with China's robotic advancement?

India should treat this as a priority in defence modernisation, indigenous research and development in both hardware and AI. It should collaborate with technologically advanced companies to better prepare for border robotic threats. It must enhance industrial policy to minimise manufacturing gaps. Industry policymakers should not ignore the exponential growth and cutting-edge tech just by dubbing it as "distant sci-fi theories".

(With inputs from Reuters)

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