Indian underwater robotics startup Coratia Technologies has raised ₹18 crore in a bridge funding round led by MGF Kavachh to support its ongoing Indian Navy programme, strengthen research and development, and expand its manufacturing capabilities.
The funding follows a ₹17 crore pre-Series A round in 2025, which was backed by MGF Kavachh, Piper and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
Founded by Debendra Pradhan and Biswajit Swain, Coratia develops remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and robotic systems for defence, industrial inspections and critical infrastructure monitoring.
The fresh capital will primarily support the execution of the company's ₹66 crore Indian Navy contract, signed in September 2025. The agreement covers the supply and maintenance of indigenous underwater robotic systems for ship-hull cleaning, minor salvage operations and inspections of submerged infrastructure.
Coratia is also looking to strengthen its underwater sensing, navigation and autonomous operation capabilities as it expands its presence across defence and industrial applications.
The company's technology is designed to operate in challenging underwater environments, including conditions involving high turbidity, limited visibility, silt and changing water currents.
Its robotic platforms combine acoustic sensors, multibeam sonar, Doppler velocity logs and ultra-short baseline navigation systems with cameras and specialised inspection equipment.
Depending on the configuration, the systems can also incorporate robotic manipulators and thickness gauges for inspecting submerged structures and metallic surfaces.
One of its platforms, JalaSimha, is designed to operate at depths of up to 300 metres.
According to the company, maintaining stability during underwater operations is an important engineering requirement, particularly when strong currents affect image quality and the ability to identify objects.
Coratia's technology development focuses on improving manoeuvrability, inspection accuracy and the integration of multiple capabilities into compact robotic platforms.
The startup's origins date back to 2014, when its founders were students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela and participated in robotics competitions.
The founders subsequently identified opportunities to develop robotic alternatives for underwater inspections that traditionally relied on human divers.
Beyond defence applications, Coratia's systems are intended for inspecting dams, reservoirs, ports, bridges, pipelines, offshore infrastructure and subsea communication networks.
Its reported customer and partner network includes Indian Oil, Indian Railways, Tata Steel, Hindalco, SAIL, Jindal Steel and Power, and NIT Rourkela.
The company is also working to increase the use of domestically developed components and reduce dependence on externally integrated technologies.
For MGF Kavachh, the investment extends its existing relationship with Coratia and supports the startup's development of indigenous technologies for strategic applications.
The funding comes as Coratia works to convert its underwater robotics capabilities into scalable products for defence, infrastructure and industrial customers, where reliability and performance under difficult operating conditions remain important requirements.
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