Indian Navy to deploy ‘Made In India’ firefighting bots

Blue-green lasers for underwater applications, autonomous weaponized boat swarms, multiple firefighting systems, and small drones with ultra-high endurance for maritime missions are all part of the Indian Navy’s most recent indigenization push, which will be displayed at a mega conclave next week, officials familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

At its next innovation and indigenization symposium, Swavlamban 2023, the navy will highlight 75 new technologies to highlight advancements achieved in several crucial sectors over the previous year, according to the authorities.

As part of the navy’s effort to increase self-reliance in the defense manufacturing sector, these technologies were selected by the navy and have been created by local start-ups and micro, small, and medium-sized companies (MSMEs) or are in the process of being developed.

Navy will host Swavlamban

The navy will host Swavlamban 2023, its second such conference, from October 4–6, at Bharat Mandapam. As part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, or celebrations to honor the 75th year of India’s Independence, the navy pledged to create 75 innovations during its first event in July 2022, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The defence ministry has given some of these cutting-edge technologies its initial approval, or acceptance of necessity (AoN), to clear the way for their introduction into the armed forces, according to navy vice chief Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh at a curtain-raiser to the seminar. These technologies are of the highest caliber and are being developed into products.

According to Indian defense procurement regulations, the Defence Acquisition Council’s AoN is the initial stage in purchasing the armed services’ necessary equipment, however actual induction frequently takes years.

Singh emphasized that developing innovations into products takes time and that permission for military gear worth another Rs. 1,500 crore is anticipated in the coming months. Twelve goods totaling around Rs. 1,500 crore have received AoN.

“Last year, the navy had committed to developing at least 75 technologies as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Today, I can say with confidence that the Swavlamban initiative has gained critical mass and is gathering continuous momentum. The promises made last year have been fully met, and even surpassed in some cases,” Singh said.

According to Commodore Arun Golaya, who is in charge of the navy’s technological development acceleration division, the goods to be displayed at the conclave include firefighting suits made from carbon nanotubes and fabric based on aerogel as well as firefighting robots that have passed testing aboard aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Last year, 118 companies were named the winners out of the 1,100 solutions that startups and MSMEs submitted in answer to the 75 technical challenges. The outcomes have pleased the navy, and many of the produced goods will enter the public and private sectors’ other two services as well as offer promise for export, according to Singh.

The news of buying these bots by Navy came earlier this year. It is bought by an indigenous firm called Swadeshi Empresa Pvt. Ltd. A total of 50 bots worth 225.6 Crore rupees have been ordered. Swadeshi Empresa was developed as a part of the iDEX initiative to detect the source of the fire and extinguishes it using fire/foam, jet/spray, keeping away from harm. The SPARK Grants, offered to selected startups through the DISC initiatives under the iDEX banner, aim to proliferate open innovation and emancipate Indian innovators and entrepreneurs to deliver advanced technological solutions to the Indian military.

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