Sagarmala Parikrama completes first leg with autonomous passage

Karwar: In a showcase of technological advancements driven by Indian start-ups, the Indian Navy launched the “Sagarmala Parikrama” on Tuesday, with Matangi, an Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) developed by Sagar Defence Engineering, completed its first leg from Mumbai to Karwar, covering approximately 600 km at night.

Flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the recent concluded Swavlamban 2024 plenary session at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, Matangi embarked on an ambitious journey from Mumbai to Tuticorin, covering a distance of 850 nautical miles (1,500 km) in autonomous mode, without human intervention, utilising indigenously developed navigation and collision avoidance software.

This mission, aimed at testing and validating indigenous defence technology, emphasises the role of Indian startups and MSMEs in revolutionising defence innovation under Swavlamban 2024. Launched in partnership with iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), Swavlamban underscores India’s progress in self-reliance, innovation, and technological growth, furthering the vision of “Strength and Power through Innovation & Indigenisation,” said the defence minister, acknowledging this mission as a milestone, highlighted the government’s commitment to creating an ecosystem that supports indigenous defence advancements, calling it a step toward realising the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.

In addition to the Sagarmala Parikrama, Swavlamban 3.0 saw the launch of ADITI 3.0 (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) and DISC 13 (Defence India Startup Challenges) aimed at pushing the boundaries of indigenous defence technology.