Sagar Defence Engineering Limited (SDE) unveiled its indigenously developed Autonomous Unmanned Marine Surface Vehicle at the Indian Navy’s Swavlamban 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.

Developed under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative, the Autonomous Unmanned Marine Surface Vehicle focuses on autonomous maritime capabilities aligned with evolving naval operational requirements. The project explores the application of unmanned systems and coordinated autonomous technologies in maritime swarming operations, reflecting the growing role of indigenous innovation in addressing emerging defence challenges.

As maritime security challenges become increasingly complex, autonomous and unmanned systems are emerging as important technological capabilities for future naval operations. The Autonomous Unmanned Marine Surface Vehicle represents SDE’s continued focus on next-generation maritime technologies, including autonomous operations, coordinated systems and advanced engineering solutions.

The development also reflects the Indian Navy’s emphasis on fostering collaboration with domestic industry through initiatives such as iDEX, encouraging indigenous research and engineering to address evolving operational requirements while contributing to India’s broader defence indigenisation objectives.

According to founder & CMD, Sagar Defence Engineering Ltd, Nikunj Parashar, “The future of maritime defence will increasingly depend on intelligent, autonomous and indigenously developed technologies. The ministry of defence, the Indian Navy and our armed forces have played an important role in encouraging Indian industry to undertake the development of advanced defence capabilities. Through initiatives such as iDEX, companies like ours have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to evolving operational requirements. The unveiling of our Autonomous Unmanned Marine Surface Vehicle represents an important step in this journey, and we remain grateful for the continued support and encouragement of our defence ecosystem as we work towards strengthening India's technological self-reliance.”

Swavlamban 2026, the Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, provides a platform for collaboration between the armed forces, defence industry, startups, MSMEs and research institutions, bringing together stakeholders working towards advancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities.