• India's underwater defense capabilities are lacking due to delayed submarine projects, reliance on foreign technology, and policy obstacles, creating critical security vulnerabilities.
• Developing Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) is crucial for India, given China's growing submarine presence, environmental degradation, and unexplored resources in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• India's UDA capabilities are at an elementary stage, with UUV development facing import dependencies and performance limitations, while the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system for submarines lags behind advanced technologies.
• Policy issues, such as concerns about Internet Protocol (IP) protection under the 'Make-2' procedure and flaws in the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme, hinder innovation in the niche-technology industry.
• iDEX's focus on defense and neglect of civilian technologies, along with ecosystem-related bottlenecks, including cumbersome regulatory approvals and financial constraints, further restrict innovation.
• To address these issues, policy shifts are needed, including compensating start-ups for trial costs, amending iDEX regulations, protecting inventors' advantages, and focusing on long-term R&D.
• Prioritizing indigenization of UUV navigation control, leveraging foreign expertise, and enhancing deep-sea awareness through sensor development and international collaboration are also essential for India's strategic imperatives in the IOR.