New Delhi:
An Indian startup and a US company are looking to work together to co-develop and co-produce autonomous surface vessels (ASV) in a first such project by a startup in the country, American aerospace firm Boeing said in a statement.
Liquid Robotics, a Boeing company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd, an Indian unmanned systems startup, for the project that builds on the joint US-India roadmap for defence industrial cooperation, Boeing said.
The MoU supports the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) aimed at expanding industry partnerships, Boeing said.
As the first such project by a US company in partnership with an Indian startup, this collaboration marks a milestone in US-India defence industrial cooperation, with undersea domain awareness as a key focus.
It reinforces India’s potential to be developed as a hub for MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) and sustainment of such platforms, with export potential across the region, Boeing said. Additionally, advancing autonomous underwater capabilities will accelerate ecosystem growth and drive innovation in next-generation defence technologies, it said.
Boeing said the partnership aims to enhance undersea domain awareness through manufacturing, system interoperability, ocean testing, and the establishment of an MRO capacity for the Wave Glider ASV platform.
“The US-India relationship continues to strengthen, and we see immense potential in deepening our collaboration,” said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India and South Asia. “This partnership with Sagar Defence Engineering underscores our commitment to co-developing and co-producing critical systems in India, fully aligning with the collaborative vision of both the U.S. and Indian governments outlined in the US- India Joint Leaders Statement last month.”
Shane Goodenough, CEO of Liquid Robotics, said the Wave Glider is a key platform for US-India collaboration, strengthening tactical readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
Captain Nikunj Parashar, Founder, Sagar Defence Engineering, said this strategic partnership brings together the best of US and Indian defence capabilities by co-developing advanced technologies like the Wave Glider, strengthening our aim to contribute towards fostering innovation within India’s defence ecosystem.
“This collaboration reinforces our shared vision of providing solutions for complex maritime challenges to enhance global maritime security,” he said.
Liquid Robotics’ Wave Glider is the most experienced and proven Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), Boeing said. Powered exclusively by wave and solar energy, the Wave Glider stays on mission 24×7 for several months at a time, providing real-time data and communications for a variety of applications.