Kochi's EyeROV Delivers the First Indian-Built Military-Grade Underwater Robots to the Navy
Kochi-based EyeROV has delivered the first two of five iDEX-developed TROUT military-grade underwater ROVs to the Indian Navy under a reported ₹47-crore contract. The 300-metre-rated vehicles are described as the first such systems designed and built in India.
Underwater robots are some of the least visible but most heavily used tools in a modern navy. They inspect ship hulls and harbour infrastructure, search for lost objects, check for explosives and recover equipment from the seabed — jobs that would otherwise fall to divers working in dangerous conditions. Until now, the Indian Navy has bought such systems largely from foreign suppliers.
That has started to change. Kochi-based marine robotics company EyeROV has delivered the first two of five TROUT military-grade remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) ordered by the Indian Navy, according to reports published around October 7–8, 2026. Coverage describes them as the first military-grade ROVs designed and built in India for naval use.
The order and the platform
- Contract: five TROUT systems under a contract signed in September 2025, reported to be worth ₹47 crore.
- Origin: the platform was developed through the Ministry of Defence's iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) programme; one report says it came out of the iDEX DISC 7 SPRINT challenge, which targeted naval technologies.
- Depth rating: up to 300 metres.
- Roles: inspection, surveillance, search and recovery, and robotic intervention — meaning the vehicle can not only see but also manipulate objects underwater.
- Qualification: the system went through field trials and, according to one outlet, the quality-assurance framework of the Directorate of Quality Assurance (Naval), DQA(N).
EyeROV CEO Johns T. Mathai framed the delivery as validation of India's domestic marine robotics capability.
What an ROV does, and why "military-grade" matters
An ROV is an uncrewed submersible connected to a ship or shore station by a tether that carries power, video and control signals. A pilot on the surface drives it using live camera and sonar feeds. Unlike autonomous underwater vehicles, which follow pre-programmed routes, ROVs are designed for close, hands-on work.
Commercial ROVs are widely used for dam, port and offshore inspection. Military-grade versions must meet tougher requirements: ruggedness for shipboard handling, reliable operation in poor visibility and strong currents, secure electronics, and the ability to integrate with naval sensors and procedures. Passing naval quality assurance is often the hardest step for a start-up, because it involves extensive documentation and testing beyond what commercial customers demand.
Why this matters
For the Navy, a domestic supplier means shorter maintenance cycles, easier access to spares and the ability to customise systems — for example, adding sensors or tools for specific missions — without depending on a foreign manufacturer's priorities. With the fleet expanding and more ports and offshore assets to protect, demand for such underwater robots is likely to grow.
For India's defence start-up ecosystem, the delivery is a reminder of what iDEX was designed to do: take a small company from a challenge award to a production contract. Many iDEX winners have struggled to cross that gap. EyeROV's progression from prototype to delivered systems gives the programme a concrete success in the maritime domain, where Indian start-ups remain relatively few. EyeROV had already showcased its underwater robots at the BRICS Summit exhibition in New Delhi in September.
The remaining three TROUT systems are due under the same contract. Follow-on orders — from the Navy, the Coast Guard or export customers — will show whether EyeROV can turn one milestone into a sustainable defence business.
Sources
- https://raksha-anirveda.com/eyerov-delivers-indias-first-military-grade-rov-to-indian-navy/
- https://en.channeliam.com/2026/10/08/eyerov-trout-underwater-rov-indian-navy-delivery/
- https://www.indiandefensenews.in/2026/10/eyerovs-indigenous-trout-military-grade.html
- https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/indian-navy-receives-1st-homegrown-military-grade-trout-rovs-from-eyerov/tldr
- https://english.newstrack.com/india-news/indian-navy-indigenous-underwater-robots-eyerov-trout-638099
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eyerov-indian-deep-tech-startup-showcases-its-underwater-drones-to-world-leaders-302881854.html