By A Correspondent
Kochi (Kerala): In its first defence business milestone, Kochi-based marine robotics and AI deep-tech startup EyeROV has developed and delivered two EyeROV TROUT military-grade underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) systems for the Indian Navy, ramping up India’s efforts to build indigenous capability in advanced underwater robotic technology. TROUT, the first military-grade ROV built in India, has been designed, developed, manufactured and qualified to military standards for naval operations.
The delivery forms part of the Indian Navy’s order for five EyeROV TROUT systems and marks the transition of the platform from an indigenous defence innovation, developed through the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) ecosystem, the company said in a statement on Wednesday (October 7, 2026). EyeROV TROUT is a rugged, mission-ready underwater robotic platform designed for mission-critical naval and subsea operations, including underwater inspection, surveillance & reconnaissance, search & recovery, detection, and robotic intervention.
EyeRov CEO and co-founder Johns T. Mathai described the delivery of TROUT systems to the Indian Navy as a milestone in EyeROV’s journey. “What started as an ambitious indigenous engineering programme has now matured into a mission-ready underwater robotic platform for the Indian Navy. We are proud that technology built in India can contribute to the safety and security of the nation. It strongly validates India’s ability to develop advanced marine robotic technologies domestically,” Mathai said.
EyeROV TROUT was developed under the iDEX DISC 7 SPRINT Challenge, an initiative for the development of strategically important indigenous technologies for the Indian armed forces. The programme involved the design and integration of a complete underwater robotic ecosystem supported by the nodal agency, the Indian Navy.
“Developing a military-grade underwater robotic system requires mechanical engineering, electronics, embedded systems, software, navigation, sensing, communication, and robotic control to perform reliably as one integrated platform. TROUT’s deployment with the Indian Navy is an important validation of the technology and of our indigenous engineering capabilities,” EyeROV chief technology officer and co-founder Kannappa Palaniappan P. said.
TROUT underwent extensive field trials and system-level validation focused on manoeuverability, deep-dive capability, performance in strong underwater currents, credible detection, navigation, endurance and operator control. The product has been taken through the quality assurance framework of the Directorate of Quality Assurance (Naval), DQA(N), and engineered to comply with Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) as per DGQAN policies and applicable military standards covering environmental and operational resilience.
A military-grade ROV, it can operate in the most challenging underwater environments, where deep-dive conditions, poor visibility, strong currents, and limited accessibility make conventional operations difficult or hazardous. TROUT has also completed type testing, verifying that the product design performs to specification under defined test conditions. This rigorous qualification separates a military-grade platform from a commercial underwater vehicle, and underpins the system’s readiness for sustained service for the Indian Navy.
Underwater robotics is becoming increasingly critical across Indian Navy operations, maritime security, underwater infrastructure protection, port and harbour security, search and recovery, inspection and maritime domain awareness. The indigenous development and deployment of TROUT supports the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, strengthening strategic autonomy while building advanced engineering capability within the country.
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