Sagar Defence, Lloyd’s Register to Advance Pathways for Autonomous Systems Certification

Sagar Defence, Lloyd’s Register to Advance Pathways for Autonomous Systems Certification

The attached image shows (l-r) Ankit Kumar, Plant Director, SDEL; David Lloyd, Vice President, Naval and Government Business, Lloyd’s Register; Mridul Babbar, Director, SDEL; and Sanyukta Singh, Chief Human Resources Officer, SDEL. Credit: LR

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and Sagar Defence Engineering Limited (SDEL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help create practical pathways for the safe certification, assurance and regulatory acceptance of autonomous and remotely operated maritime systems.

As interest in autonomous technologies and remotely operated systems grows across commercial, government and defense sectors, developers and operators face increasing pressure to demonstrate that new systems can operate safely, reliably and in line with evolving regulatory requirements.

LR and Sagar Defence will work together to bridge the gap between technological innovation and operational deployment, helping move autonomous maritime systems from concept to approved operation.

The MoU combines LR's expertise in classification, assurance and regulatory compliance with Sagar Defence's experience developing autonomous and remotely operated platforms. The partnership will focus on supporting the classification, certification and operational acceptance of autonomous systems while helping shape the rules, guidance and assurance frameworks needed for wider industry adoption.

The two organizations will work together to develop practical approaches to verification, validation and testing, alongside classification readiness assessments and assurance methodologies.

The collaboration will also support the development of operational concepts, mission profiles and safety cases, while enabling closer engagement with regulators, government agencies and industry stakeholders to support the evolution of certification pathways for autonomous technologies.