French high-tech industrial company Exail and Indian engineering and defence group Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have announced a strategic collaboration to deliver an advanced Unmanned Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Suite for the Indian Navy’s Mine Counter Measures Vessels programme.
The partnership will see L&T and Exail jointly propose a state-of-the-art unmanned solution designed to detect, classify, identify and neutralise naval mines while keeping crews at a safe stand-off distance. L&T will act as prime contractor and offer the Unmanned MCM Suite to shipyards participating in the Indian Navy’s upcoming programme for 12 Mine Counter Measure Vessels, while Exail will serve as technology partner.
This cooperation brings together L&T’s extensive defence engineering, indigenous manufacturing, complex system integration and lifecycle support capabilities with Exail’s proven expertise in unmanned maritime systems and mine warfare technologies. Exail’s MCM solutions are already operated by several navies worldwide and have been validated through extensive operational deployments.
Beyond the technological dimension, the agreement reflects the strength of Indo-French defence cooperation and the growing importance of unmanned maritime systems for naval operations. Mine countermeasures remain a critical capability for securing ports, sea lanes, naval access routes and maritime infrastructure, particularly in contested or strategically sensitive environments.
The collaboration is also aligned with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, with a strong focus on local industrial cooperation and capability development. By combining French technological know-how with Indian industrial capacity, the partnership aims to support the development of a robust and self-reliant naval defence manufacturing ecosystem in India.
For Exail, this agreement confirms the relevance of its expertise in autonomous and remotely operated maritime systems, navigation technologies and naval robotics. For L&T, it strengthens its role as a key industrial partner for complex naval defence programmes in India.
This announcement illustrates the ability of the French maritime industry to contribute to major international naval programmes in close cooperation with local industrial partners. It also underlines the strategic importance of France-India ties in the maritime domain, where innovation, sovereignty and security are increasingly interconnected.
Through this partnership, Exail and L&T intend to contribute to the next generation of mine countermeasures capabilities for the Indian Navy and to the long-term development of sovereign unmanned maritime systems in India.
