In a landmark deal that underscores India’s rising prowess in deep-tech hardware, Chennai-based unicorn Planys Technologies has secured a massive ₹100 crore (approximately $11.1 million) in primary funding. The round was led by renowned investors Ashish Kacholia and Lashit Sanghvi, alongside a strong syndicate of existing backers. This investment is not just capital; it’s fuel for a dual mission: to conquer global industrial markets and to launch a strategic foray into India’s defense sector, cementing its position as a sovereign leader in underwater robotics.
Founded in 2015 by a team of IIT Madras alumni, Planys has spent nearly a decade perfecting the art and science of seeing and inspecting the unseen. Operating in the punishing, zero-light environment of ultra-turbid waters, the company has built an enviable track record and a formidable technological moat.
The Planys Edge: Conquering the “Uninspectable”
Planys’s core innovation lies in its ability to perform non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspections where traditional methods fail. Its arsenal includes:
- Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) & Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs): Unmanned platforms that navigate complex underwater structures.
- AI-Powered 3D Inspection Twins: Creating digital replicas of underwater assets for detailed analysis and predictive maintenance.
- Advanced Hybrid Crawlers: Robots that can walk on submerged surfaces for close-up inspection.
- Global Leadership in Underwater Concrete Testing: A critical niche where they are reportedly the only firm deploying submersible robots, addressing a massive need in aging global infrastructure.
With over 25,000 operational hours across 500+ sites in 10+ countries for clients like Reliance Industries, Shell, Saudi Aramco, and Indian Railways, Planys has moved beyond a promising startup to a proven, global industrial solutions provider. Its portfolio of 21 granted patents and 15 pending is the bedrock of this credibility.
The Two-Pronged Strategy: Global Scale and Sovereign Defense
The fresh ₹100 crore capital injection will be deployed across two ambitious, parallel tracks:
1. Turbocharging Global Industrial Expansion:
Planys will deepen its presence in key international markets like Singapore, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Europe. The goal is to become the go-to partner for the world’s largest energy, shipping, and infrastructure companies that require absolute certainty about the integrity of their submerged assets—from oil rigs and port pylons to dams and pipelines.
2. Launching ‘Planys Ark’: The Defence Gambit
The most strategic part of this raise is the formal acceleration of its defense roadmap through a new subsidiary, Planys Ark. This includes:
- Establishing a dedicated Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) production facility in South Chennai.
- Developing advanced UUVs in collaboration with the Indian Navy, Army, and Coast Guard for critical missions like underwater search-and-rescue, mine detection, harbor surveillance, and intelligence gathering.
- Engaging with the government’s iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) program to deliver cutting-edge, made-in-India defense technology.
The Market Tidal Wave: Riding the Deep-Tech Surge
Planys’s success is a flagship story within the broader deep-tech funding surge in India, which saw $1.06 billion invested in H1 2025 (a 2x YoY increase). It exemplifies the investor shift towards backing companies with hard IP, complex engineering, and real-world, industrial-grade applications.
The company is positioned to capture a significant share of the $15+ billion global underwater robotics market, a sector poised for exponential growth as the world increasingly turns to the oceans for resources, energy, and security.
Conclusion: The Depths are Calling for Indian Robotics
The ₹100 crore raise for Planys Technologies is a watershed moment. It proves that Indian startups can not only compete but lead in the globally competitive, capital-intensive, and technologically intense field of underwater robotics. It shows that patient, deep-tech building can result in a unicorn that serves both Fortune 500 companies and the nation’s armed forces.