The sea keeps its secrets well.

Beneath the ocean's surface lie some of the planet's most fragile ecosystems and some of the infrastructure modern life depends on — coral reefs, ship hulls, underwater pipelines, dams, tunnels and bridges.

For decades, inspecting these underwater spaces meant sending divers into difficult and often dangerous conditions.

In rough seas or emergencies, inspections could be delayed for days while teams waited for divers to arrive.

It was this challenge that led two engineers to ask a simple question: if robots can transform warehouses, factories and hospitals, why are people still being sent into some of the most hazardous underwater environments?

That question became EyeROV.

Founded in 2017 by IIT graduates Johns T Mathai and Kannappa Palaniappan, the Kochi-based startup builds indigenous underwater robots powered by artificial intelligence. The systems are designed not only to inspect infrastructure but also to help scientists study marine ecosystems and monitor coral reefs in the Andaman and Lakshadweep islands.

At a time when warming seas, coastal erosion and coral bleaching are reshaping India's marine ecosystems, the founders believe technology can play an important role in understanding and protecting what lies beneath the water.

A problem waiting to be solved

The founders' journey to EyeROV began far from the ocean.

Johns and Kannappa were college friends who eventually took different paths. Kannappa went on to study at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, while Johns pursued his education at the Indian Institute........

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