Odisha’s Coratia Technologies to commercialise the Autonomous Underwater Profiling Drifter (AUPD), powering India’s blue economy and the Viksit Bharat vision
Chennai | 21 October 2026: In a landmark step for India’s blue economy and indigenous ocean-technology ecosystem, the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) executed a technology transfer licence agreement with Odisha-based M/s. Coratia Technologies Pvt. Ltd. on 21 October 2026 at Chennai, unlocking commercial access to the Autonomous Underwater Profiling Drifter (AUPD), a cutting-edge oceanographic innovation developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. Designed for Argo floats operating at depths of up to 2,000 metres, the technology marks a significant milestone in carrying advanced laboratory research into the hands of industry. The tripartite licence agreements were signed and exchanged by Prof.
Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director, NIOT, and Shri Debendra Pradhan, CEO, M/s. Coratia Technologies Pvt. Ltd., in a ceremony graced by a distinguished gathering of NIOT scientists, including Dr. Vijaya Ravichandran, Deputy Director; Dr. Phani Kumar and Dr. Muthuvel Panayan, Group Directors; and Smt. K. Chithra, Project Director, among others. Representing NRDC, Dr. Bijay K. Sahu, Head, Outreach Office, Dr. Bhavya Manjeera, Chief Technology Officer, and Dr. Hareram joined the proceedings virtually, lending their institutional weight to the occasion. A free-drifting, buoyancy-controlled device, the AUPD measures temperature, salinity and depth across the ocean column and continuously tracks ocean climate variability, relaying data in real time via satellite.
Equipped with a CTD sensor, it deepens scientific understanding of ocean heat and freshwater transport and strengthens forecast models through data assimilation, while its impact extends well beyond climate action and marine conservation to the cause of sustainable development. The technology advances clean energy, responsible management of marine ecosystems, industry, innovation and infrastructure, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals 7, 9, 13 and 14. With this agreement, NRDC reaffirms its steadfast commitment to transferring innovative technologies from laboratory to industry in service of the vision of Viksit Bharat.
