To further India’s maritime security and tapping into technologies developed by startups in an effort to gain “Aatmanirbharta” in Defence”, iDEX has inked its 50th SPRINT contract with Sagar Defence for Autonomous Weaponised Boat Swarms for the Indian Navy.  This is one of the technologies out of the 75 challenges introduced by the Indian Navy under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav in 2022.

Sources in the defence and security establishment confirmed to Financial Express Online that the company Sagar Defence has the expertise to develop country’s first weaponsied Autonomous unmanned boat with capability for swarming.

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The contract relates to an Indian Navy project of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 7) SPRINT initiative and post development of the weaponsied Autonomous Unmanned Boat, the India Navy is expected to place an order for 12 systems.

Who were present during the signing ceremony?

This was inked on Thursday in the presence of RAdm Arjun Dev Nair, ACNS (SR), RAdm K Srinivas, ACOM (Mod) & Cmde A P Golaya, Oi/C TDAC.

Sagar Defence Engineering speaks to Financial Express Online

In an exclusive interaction with Financial Express Online, Capt Nikunj Parashar, Managing Director and founder Sagar Defence Engineering said, “We have achieved a significant milestone in contributing to the nation’s goal of developing India into a global manufacturing hub within the next 25 years.”

Adding, “We could not have been given a better platform for demonstrating our Technology and capabilities on “Autonomous Weaponsied Boat Swarms” than the Indian Navy’s iDEX-DIO (DISC 7) SPRINT initiative.”

How will this system help?

“Using an autonomous integrated system, we aim at addressing the needs of India’s maritime security by performing a variety of naval and security activities, including high-speed interdiction, surveillance, constabulary operations, C4ISR, and low-intensity maritime operations through our USVs,” Capt Parashar explains.

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In his words “iDEX-DIO and the Indian Navy have provided an opportunity for making our small addition to the growth of the defence industry, involving start-ups, and improving the nation’s defence and aerospace.”

“With this, we have made progress toward achieving our mutual objectives of not endangering human life while completing difficult and dangerous missions along with encouraging the indigenization of such technology to develop an Atmarakshit Bharat,” he adds.

Background on iDEX

This framework was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. The objective was to provide a platform of co-development and co-creation in the defence sector. And also to engage start-ups as well as develop the aerospace and defence ecosystem in the country.

To make India self-reliant in the defence sector, in association with the three services, NSMEs, startups and DPSUs, iDEX is striving to develop cutting-edge technology products.  Transforming India into a global defence manufacturing hub in the next 25 years and achieving the export target of USD $5 billion.