Indian Firm Accurate Debuts IRS-Certified Autonomous Patrol Boat

IRS Certifies New Autonomous Collision Avoidance System

India’s marine autonomy sector has reached a notable milestone after the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) certified a new collision avoidance system developed by Pune-based automation specialist Accurate Industrial Control. According to a report by The Maritime Executive, the certification followed sea trials of a newly built 13-metre patrol boat fitted with Accurate’s ‘Intelligent Situational Awareness and Collision Avoidance’ (ISACA) technology stack.

The vessel was constructed at SHM Shipyard Limited in Mumbai, with trials conducted in the Arabian Sea off Karwar. Dharmesh Popatlal Gala, Accurate’s director of AI and Robotics, said the ISACA suite combines multiple situational awareness sensors — radar, GNSS, echo sounder and CCTV — with a full collision avoidance package. The system reportedly achieved IRS AUTN 4-R(N) certification, aligned with IMO’s International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).

From Industrial Automation to Marine Autonomy

Accurate has spent more than three decades working in automation across the steel, automotive and aerospace sectors, according to Gala. The company moved into marine applications roughly five years ago through work with the Indian Army, and now sees expanding opportunities across Europe, the Middle East, India and beyond. Gala noted the firm is fielding inquiries from navies, coastguards, ports, harbour authorities and offshore operators.

He attributed the company’s competitiveness to its 1,500-strong workforce and India’s broader reputation for low-cost technical innovation, pointing to the country’s Mars orbiter mission as an example. Gala said the goal behind ISACA is to make autonomous navigation technology more affordable without sacrificing safety or performance.

Reducing Crewing Pressure on Patrol Operations

A central selling point of the system, Gala said, is relieving the operational burden on conventional patrol boats, which require continuous crewing and struggle to maintain persistent monitoring over large areas. Vessels equipped with ISACA, he argued, can deliver round-the-clock surveillance at a fraction of typical operating costs — a capability he described as increasingly relevant given evolving naval threats.

Beyond the 13-metre patrol boat, Accurate has also built a smaller 5-metre autonomous ‘SAR Craft’ at Sumit Shipyard in Kochi, which will also be offered with the full ISACA package.

Technical Capabilities

The ISACA platform is designed to interface with Mercury, Cox, and other CAN/MODBUS-based propulsion systems, and can also be adapted to non-digital propulsion via actuators. Listed capabilities include persistent 24/7 autonomous operation, sensor fusion combining radar, electro-optical cameras, AIS and inertial navigation, 360-degree situational awareness, autonomous mission planning, COLREGS-compliant collision risk analysis and manoeuvring, and precision vessel control that compensates for wind, waves and current. Remote command and control functions allow operators to monitor missions with manual override available.

Accurate says the technology is intended for applications spanning port and harbour security, offshore energy, coastal surveillance, hydrographic survey, inspection missions, border security and defence operations. A non-autonomous variant of the collision avoidance software, branded Drishtipatha, is also offered as a wheelhouse co-navigator providing audio and visual alerts without taking control of the vessel.

What This Means for Owners and Inspectors

For ship owners, managers, and surveyors, this development is a signal that classification societies are moving toward formal frameworks for certifying autonomous collision avoidance systems rather than treating them as experimental add-ons. As such systems move from patrol and defence applications toward commercial, offshore, and port operations, survey and inspection regimes will need to adapt — verifying not just hull and machinery condition but also the reliability, sensor calibration, and COLREGS-compliance of onboard autonomous decision-making software. Owners considering retrofit or newbuild autonomous systems should expect that class certification, rather than manufacturer claims alone, will increasingly determine insurability and operational acceptance in commercial and naval markets alike.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.