Chennai
June 2, 2026
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, successfully organized the National Underwater Robotics Workshop (UWR–2026) on June1st–2nd,2026, bringing together over 300 delegates from academia, research institutions, industries and government organizations across the country. The two-day workshop served as a premier platform for deliberations on emerging technologies, indigenous innovations and collaborative research in the field of underwater robotics. C-DAC was the platinum sponsors for the event.
A major highlight of the workshop was the inauguration of the Centre for Marine Autonomous Robotics Systems (CMARS) by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, National Maritime Security Coordinator, and Dr. M. V. Ramana Murthy, Mission Director, Deep Ocean Mission, in the presence of Dr. Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director, NIOT. The event featured plenary lectures, technical sessions, live technology demonstrations and exhibitions by leading organizations and industries working in subsea technologies, marine robotics, autonomous systems and underwater instrumentation.
Strategic Electronics Group (SEG) and Power Electronics Group (PEG) of C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram actively participated in the technology exhibition, showcasing several indigenous marine technologies developed. The exhibits included the Portable Autonomous Survey Vessel (PASV), Underwater Drone (ROV), Buoy-Based Sensor System, VETRANeo High Precision DGPS System, & Portable Echo Sounderby SEG and Active Gate Driver for WBG Converters, GaN based motor drives, On-Board Chargers(OBC), and Battery Management Systems(BMS) by PEG, attracting significant interest from researchers, industry representatives and government agencies.
As part of the workshop, Shri Shibu R. M., ScientistG, C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, delivered an invited technical session on "AI Enabled Underwater Systems", highlighting the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in autonomous underwater vehicles, intelligent marine sensing, navigation, perception and decision-making for ocean exploration, environmental monitoring and strategic applications.
The workshop concluded with a visionary closing session led by Padma Shri Dr. P. S. Goel, Former Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), who emphasized the need for strengthening indigenous capabilities, collaborative innovation and self-reliance in underwater robotic technologies. The event reaffirmed India's commitment to advancing indigenous marine autonomous technologies under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat while strengthening the strategic partnership between C-DAC and NIOT. The collaboration is expected to accelerate the development of next-generation underwater technologies, promote innovation through joint research and technology development, and contribute significantly to India's Blue Economy by enabling sustainable exploration, monitoring, and utilization of marine resources.
