The Indian Navy has signed a significant ₹47 crore contract with Kochi-based deep-tech start-up EyeROV for the procurement of advanced Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (UWROVs). This deal represents a major step in strengthening indigenous underwater surveillance and operational capabilities, while also spotlighting India’s growing deep-tech innovation ecosystem within the defence sector.

EyeROV’s flagship product, the EyeROV Trout, is a 300-metre depth-rated ROV designed for underwater exploration and operations. Equipped with advanced payloads such as high-definition cameras, data collection instruments, and manipulators, the system can carry out critical tasks ranging from detailed inspection of underwater assets to surveillance in restricted visibility conditions.

These systems are designed to operate in challenging marine environments, where conventional tools such as divers, cameras, and lights face significant limitations.

By inducting EyeROV’s UWROVs, the Indian Navy will gain robust capabilities for underwater surveillance, inspection of hulls and port infrastructure, submarine support missions, and mine countermeasure-related monitoring.

The deployment of such indigenous ROVs reduces dependency on foreign suppliers while ensuring that maintenance, customisation, and technology upgrades can be carried out domestically. This aligns with Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the naval modernisation roadmap that increasingly emphasizes indigenous solutions for underwater operations.

Founded in 2016 by IIT alumni Johns T Mathai and Kannappa Palaniappan P, EyeROV has steadily grown into one of India’s most recognised underwater robotics startups. Over the past eight years, the company has completed more than 100 underwater deployments across India, West Asia, and Europe. Its clientele spans over 80 organisations, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Coast Guard, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

EyeROV has raised more than $2 million in funding so far, with support from investors such as venture capital firm Unicorn India Ventures. This financial backing has allowed the company to expand its engineering team, accelerate R&D in deep-water technologies, and field-test its systems across multiple real-world operational contexts.

Reflecting on the Navy contract, co-founder Johns T Mathai emphasized that the partnership validates eight years of focused engineering and innovation. He highlighted that EyeROV’s systems have been tested in some of the harshest marine conditions, establishing benchmarks for reliability in underwater robotics. The agreement with the Navy serves as both recognition of EyeROV’s capabilities and a milestone proving India’s ability to produce globally competitive defence deep-tech solutions.

The EyeROV-Navy partnership underscores a growing wave of collaboration between the Indian military and indigenous start-ups, particularly in the deep-tech and dual-use technology space. As underwater domains continue to gain strategic importance in maritime security, investments in indigenous ROVs and unmanned platforms will play a pivotal role in future naval operations. This contract not only strengthens operational readiness but also bolsters India’s position as a developer of advanced undersea systems with export potential.

Based On ETTech Report