Saif Seas has delivered 50 “remote-operated buoys” (pictured above with PM Modi), which can be used for rescue and surveillance operations, to the Indian Navy.

Kolkata-based Saif Seas has delivered “50 pieces” of its “remote-operated buoy” to the Indian Navy and will be delivering 50 more by the end of 2022, Taher Calcuttawala, co-founder and chief operating officer of the company, told Janes at East Tech 2022, held in Kolkata by the Indian Army's Eastern Command on 7 and 8 July.

The battery-operated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is designed for rescue but can be customised for various other missions by fitting it with “HD cameras, robotic probes, or weaponry”, Calcuttawala said.

While the USV was initially designed to rescue one person, the system has been enhanced and tested to have the capability of rescuing “at least three people” weighing up to 300 kg, Calcuttawala added.

He told Janes that Saif Seas is in talks with the Indian Army to supply the USV for surveillance purposes and hopes that a deal will be established soon.