Context
Where this sits.
The Indian Navy has moved from a buyer's navy to a builder's navy, with the overwhelming majority of its order book under construction domestically and indigenous content rising across hulls, combat management systems and weapons. Electro-optic surveillance has historically been an import line. It does not need to be.
The problems
What actually goes wrong.
Continuous watchkeeping without watch fatigue
COLREG Rule 5 requires a proper lookout at all times. A machine does not blink at 0300, and it does not have a fourth hour of a middle watch.
Small-craft force protection
The most consequential close-range maritime threats are small, fast, non-cooperative and invisible to AIS. Optical and thermal detection is the only reliable answer inside radar's minimum range.
Dark-vessel and EEZ awareness
Vessels that switch off AIS are precisely the ones worth seeing. Passive optical detection adds a layer that cannot be spoofed by silence.
Emission-controlled operation
Passive sensing lets a ship see without radiating, which matters in exactly the situations where radiating is the wrong choice.
Products applied
What we deploy here.
DRISHTI-360
360° EO/IR panoramic situational awareness mast
NETRA-TI
Gyro-stabilised long-range thermal sight
VARUNA-AV
COLREG-aware autonomous lookout stack for uncrewed vessels
SETU-EDGE
Rugged marine edge-AI compute node
SAMUDRA-C2
Fleet and shore command vision platform
National programmes
The frameworks this work sits inside.
India's maritime and defence modernisation runs through named programmes with defined funding routes. Knowing which one a requirement belongs to is half of getting it procured.
Outcomes
- Continuous 360° watch with no operator fatigue term
- Small-craft detection inside radar minimum range
- Wholly passive — no emission signature added
- Indigenous content and in-country support and spares
| iDEX / DISC | Innovations for Defence Excellence, run by the Defence Innovation Organisation, is the structured route for startups to take a service problem statement to funded prototype. |
|---|---|
| SPRINT (Navy) | The Navy-specific track run with NIIO and TDAC, aimed at inducting indigenous technology into the fleet at pace. |
| Make-II | Industry-funded development under the Defence Acquisition Procedure, suited to sub-systems with a clear service requirement. |
| Defence Indigenisation Lists | Positive indigenisation lists progressively close import routes for named sub-systems, creating a defined domestic window. |
Programme descriptions are summarised from public Government of India sources and are provided for orientation. Confirm current scope, eligibility and timelines with the administering ministry or agency.
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