Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Today, Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja met with Debendra Pradhan, co-founder of Coratia Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a startup based at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, to talk about using robotics technology to improve the robustness and effectiveness of the state’s underwater infrastructure. The Indian Navy has awarded a ₹66 crore contract to Coratia Technologies, a company that specializes in unmanned robotics for underwater inspection and maintenance, for the deployment of domestic underwater robotic equipment. Chief Secretary Ahuja praised the accomplishment, saying it demonstrates Odisha’s expanding technological and skill-building potential.
According to Debendra Pradhan, the startup’s technology enables rescue operations, soil evaluation, water depth measurement, structural health assessment, and underwater condition monitoring, inspection, and assessment without causing damage to infrastructure. In order to ensure the safety and upkeep of Odisha’s many water reservoirs, river embankments, historic bridges, and ongoing river development projects, the Chief Secretary emphasized the potential importance of underwater robots. He urged the startup to look at these state-wide potential.
Bhupinder Singh Punia, the Commissioner and Secretary of the State Department of Technical Education and Skill Development, also attended the meeting.
