Coratia Technologies, an Odisha-based deeptech start-up, is positioning itself at the forefront of India’s undersea defence and infrastructure protection. The company specialises in building indigenous marine robots designed for inspection, surveillance, and defence applications.
These systems are intended to safeguard critical underwater assets such as fibre-optic cables, pipelines, docks, bridges, and subsea installations, which form the backbone of India’s digital and economic lifelines.
Founded in 2021 by mechanical engineering graduates Debendra Pradhan and Biswajit Swain from NIT Rourkela, the company emerged from an academic challenge set by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The duo initially developed autonomous underwater robots capable of navigating obstacles and firing projectiles at targets, a project that won them national recognition and later international acclaim at the Singapore Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge.
Their early success laid the foundation for Coratia’s commercial journey.
The start-up has raised ₹22 crore in funding from investors including Piper Serica Angel Fund, MGF Kavachh, and Pontaq Ventures, alongside government grants. Its credibility was further cemented when it secured a ₹66 crore contract under the Ministry of Defence’s iDEX scheme to supply its robotic systems to the Indian Navy. This contract underscores the strategic importance of indigenous technology in bolstering India’s maritime security at a time of heightened geopolitical volatility.
The urgency of Coratia’s mission was highlighted earlier this year when Iran threatened to target undersea cable lines in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating conflict in West Asia. The Strait, a narrow but vital waterway, carries nearly 20% of global crude oil and natural gas shipments and hosts several fibre-optic cables that connect India and Southeast Asia to Europe.
With subsea cables transmitting 99% of global internet traffic, any disruption could cripple financial transactions, cloud services, and government communications. India’s limited cable-repair capabilities make the deployment of indigenous inspection and monitoring robots a strategic necessity.
Coratia’s robots are designed to perform tasks beyond the reach of human divers, including underwater salvage, infrastructure inspection, and threat assessment. These capabilities are particularly relevant given the vulnerabilities of subsea networks to both deliberate attacks and accidental damage from fishing trawlers. By offering mission-ready systems, Coratia aims to strengthen India’s resilience against disruptions that could have severe economic and national security consequences.
The company operates in a competitive domestic market valued at $108.86 million in 2026, projected to grow at 18.27% annually to reach $309.60 million by 2032.
Rivals such as Planys Technologies and EyeROV are also vying for leadership in this sector, but Coratia’s naval contract and indigenous focus provide it with a strong advantage. Its work aligns closely with the government’s push for indigenisation of defence technology under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, ensuring reduced reliance on foreign systems and greater operational sovereignty.
Coratia’s journey from university research to national defence contracts reflects the growing role of deeptech start-ups in India’s strategic ecosystem.
By combining academic innovation with industrial application, the company has carved out a niche in marine robotics that directly addresses India’s vulnerabilities in undersea infrastructure.
As geopolitical tensions continue to highlight the fragility of global data highways, Coratia Technologies is building a future where indigenous machines safeguard the nation’s digital and maritime lifelines.
Agencies
