Currents of Change

A marine-robotics start-up in Kochi is building underwater drones for inspection, rescue and defence missions in harsh environments

- By Bunty Thoidingjam

Long before they were building robots for the deep sea, Johns T Mathai and Kannappa Palaniappan were tinkering with machines in the shadow of Kerala's backwaters. While the waters offered a retreat of houseboats and scenic cruises, the two engineering students at the College of Engineering, Trivandrum were testing prototypes in underwater robotics.

At the time, Mathai was studying technology and Palaniappan was enrolled in an undergraduate mechanical engineering programme. It was during a series of inter-college robotics competitions, held between 2006 and 2010, that their bond deepened, as teammates and as aspiring innovators.

After graduation, Mathai went on to study at IIT Delhi, while Palaniappan enrolled in the ocean engineering programme at IIT Madras. Though miles apart, the two remained connected by a shared love for robotics and a dream to build underwater robots for a global market. That dream would eventually lead to the creation of their own startup.

Idea to Industry

Founded in 2016, EyeROV is a marine-robotics company based in Kochi. Specialising in remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and unmanned systems, the startup provides advanced solutions for underwater inspections across industries such as marine, oil and gas, and defence.

The company has secured $2mn in funding from investors such as GAIL and Unicorn India Ventures, a venture-capital firm.