Coratia Technologies Raises ₹5 Crore to Scale Underwater Robotics

Odisha-based Coratia Technologies said it has raised ₹5 crore (about USD 563,000) from Piper Serica Angel Fund. The round will be used to strengthen in-house research and development, expand manufacturing capacity, upgrade existing product lines and drive international market outreach.

The company positions the funding as a stepping stone to move from demonstration to repeatable production and exports—a critical phase for deep-tech hardware startups operating in capital- and scale-intensive domains such as underwater robotics.

Navy contract and commercial traction

Coratia’s funding comes on the heels of a high-profile contract: the startup recently secured an INR 66-crore order from the Indian Navy for its indigenously developed Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (UWROV), Jalasimha. That contract has helped validate Coratia’s technology in mission-critical defence settings and appears to have strengthened investor confidence.

The startup’s product portfolio includes Jalasimha, Jaladuta, Oceanus and Navya, which the company says are designed for both defence and civilian use cases — from subsea inspections to analytics and maintenance of offshore infrastructure.

“We’re proud to back Coratia as it redefines underwater robotics and accelerates India’s rise as a technology powerhouse by 2030. Debendra and Biswajit have built an exceptional technological moat, and the landmark Navy order is powerful proof of Coratia’s potential. The company is poised for rapid growth,” said Ajay Modi, Director of Investments, Piper Serica.

Product demonstrations and international interest

Domestically, Coratia has executed projects with organisations such as the Indian Railways and IOCL Paradip. The company was also invited to Brunei Darussalam to demonstrate integrated robotic systems for subsea inspections — an indicator of demand in offshore energy markets and a signal that its solutions attract international interest.

Co-founders framed the investment as fuel for building a global supply chain from India. In the founders’ words:

“This investment goes a long way to support our vision to transform underwater robotics and strengthen India’s position within the global blue economy. We are building a global supply chain from India. Our focus remains on developing and exporting indigenously developed capabilities that serve both strategic and commercial needs across friendly markets,” said Debendra Pradhan, Co-Founder & CEO, Coratia Technologies.

“We’re building systems that redefine operational efficiency and reliability under extreme environments at a fraction of the cost globally,” added Biswajit Swain, Co-Founder & CTO, Coratia Technologies.

What the funds will enable

According to Coratia, the new capital will be applied across four operational priorities:

1. R&D intensification: Advance platform capabilities, sensor suites and autonomy layers to meet both defence and commercial specifications.

2. Manufacturing scale-up: Expand shop-floor capacity to support higher production volumes and shorten lead times.

3. Product upgrades: Refine existing product lines to meet ruggedisation, certification and export requirements.

4. Market expansion: Invest in go-to-market activities and demonstrations in friendly overseas markets in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

For hardware deep-tech firms, progress on these fronts typically determines the speed at which pilot wins convert into repeat contracts and export orders. The relatively modest size of this round suggests the company expects it to be catalytic — enabling key capability upgrades that unlock larger procurement opportunities.

Coratia’s investor base already includes deep-tech funds MGF Kavachh and Pontaq Ventures, which together invested more than INR 17 crore in July 2025. Piper Serica’s injection complements that earlier capital and signals continued investor appetite for India-based strategic hardware startups that can serve defence and energy sectors.

“The landmark Navy order is powerful proof of Coratia’s potential,” Piper Serica’s Ajay Modi said, highlighting the importance of credible anchor customers to derisk early-stage defence and dual-use technology ventures.

India’s focus on strategic autonomy and the blue economy is increasing government and commercial interest in indigenous underwater systems. Startups like Coratia that can pair engineering depth with manufacturing scale and export readiness are likely to find demand from navies, energy operators and infrastructure owners seeking lower-cost, locally supported alternatives.

However, execution remains the key test: converting demonstration projects and single large orders into a predictable revenue stream requires robust supply chains, quality certifications and predictable after-sales support in offshore environments — all areas Coratia says it will strengthen with the new funds.

The Piper Serica investment and the earlier Navy contract position Coratia to move from technology validation to scaling operations and exports. If the startup can expand manufacturing and meet the rigorous certification demands of defence and energy customers, it could become a notable example of India’s emergent deep-tech hardware ecosystem.